


Always Got Your Back

by sydneyxface



Category: One Piece
Genre: Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Child Abuse, Confessions, Friendship, Hand Jobs, Idiots in Love, M/M, Nakamaship, Slow Burn, Soft Roronoa Zoro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:14:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 157,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21655075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sydneyxface/pseuds/sydneyxface
Summary: In the heat of a battle, there's no better team than Roronoa Zoro and Blackleg Sanji. But what happens when a stupid cook loses his footing on a slippery wooden deck, opening himself up for an enemy pirate to touch him with his Devil Fruit power?Well, Sanji aging back to his seven-year-old self, is what happens. And Kid-Sanji clings to Zoro right away, resulting in the swordsman to let down his walls and open himself up to bond with the little cook. And once Sanji is turned back into an adult, they both find out their relationship has been forever changed.In-Universe story. Post-time skip. Takes place between Fishman Island and Punk Hazard arcs.INCLUDES ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 508
Kudos: 1771





	1. Slip of the Foot

As was normal, the Strawhat Pirates found themselves surrounded by a small fleet of pirates on the vast, ocean blue on this rainy day. The greys of the skies swirled together while it cried, drowning everyone in its tears.

Most everyone was separated onto different ships fighting off the bandits that  _ absolutely  _ picked the wrong crew to rob, leaving only Franky and Usopp to defend The Thousand Sunny. The two made a good team fending off the idiots that dared step foot on their precious wooden  _ nakama.  _

Off on the main boat, the one that overshadowed the rest, Luffy was busy punching his fist as far as it would go into the captain’s face. The fleet wasn’t entirely too strong, at least not much of a challenge for the Straw Hats, the only thing slowing them down was their never-ending numbers. It seemed no matter how many enemies they knocked back, thirty replaced them. The pirates jumped from ship to ship to get to Luffy. After all, his bounty had grown mighty high and he was just a kid - how hard could it be to capture the boy with a straw hat?

Even with multiple Devil Fruit users, the fleet’s numbers were slowly being torn down. Left and right, the pirates clashed, but the Straw Hats were winning. Sanji and Zoro were laying waste to a ship together when they encountered a particular Fruit user who seemed over-joyous to go toe-to-toe with Black Leg Sanji and Roronoa Zoro, the infamous Pirate Hunter.

“Oh, how lucky of me that I happen to battle the two of you!” The frilly man shrieked. He was squat, way too fat, and wore frills on every seam of clothes. “I’ve read all about you -  _ and your bounties!” _

The Sunny’s cook smirked as he looked over at his partner in crime. With a lit cigarette in his hand, he waved the man away. “This the best you’ve got on this ship? If you’re it then we’re moving on to the next one.” Sanji lazily said and turned on his heel to leave.

“Wait!” The frilly man called out desperately. “Wait, no, you haven’t even seen my power yet!” The man was obviously offended he wasn’t considered the time of day from these two big shots. He had worked very hard to make his Fruit better and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t even get a chance to show it off!

Zoro barked a laugh into the rainy sky. “Whatever it is, it won’t be enough.”

Lightning struck and lit up the deck around them, casting strange shadows every which way. The frilly man looked over at his captain’s ship a few boats down and could visibly see his ass being handed to him. He turned back to the two pirates and swallowed. “I’ll take you both down and then my captain will see how strong I am. He’ll have no choice but to promote me!”

Before retorting a reply, Zoro cut a man down who tried to sneak up on him. “Alright, whatever. Yer the last one left on the ship now, give us your best shot.”

The man perked up with cheer hearing Zoro give him the floor. “I’ve got a nice power, you know! I can mess with time!” He laughed a snorty laugh, one that only overly obese people could pull off. To show as an example, he picked up a fallen sword from his comrade. The metal of the sword immediately turned into rust and became so weak, pieces fell off.

Sanji let out a low whistle. “Wow, nice one.” That earned a chuckle from Zoro. The two shared a look of an agreement to humor the man. “That might just get us, you know.”

“I know!” He shouted and bounced from one side of the ship to the other. Zoro and Sanji side-stepped a few times to get out of his way, curious to see the extent of his plan. Each time he passed by, he reached out to try and touch either of them, even though he just showed them that his power was touched-based.

Smoking the rest of his soggy cigarette, Sanji gave a side-long glance to his partner and asked, “Is this guy serious?” and proceeded to flick the butt to the floor.

“I dunno, but let’s end this. I’m bored and it sounds like Luffy’s having all the fun.” As if on cue, a hoard of screams could be heard from their captain’s direction.

Just then, another ship in the fleet crashed into the side of the one they stood on so hard the mainmast immediately broke and fell into the sea. Piles of men launched themselves off, some threw fire, some had guns, some had weird Devil Fruits. The once boring standoff was now an exciting brawl for the two Straw Hat pirates once again.

Zoro and Sanji danced around deflecting everything that was thrown at them with ease. Their time spent elsewhere for those two years away showed indefinitely as all of this was barely a challenge.

Dodging and slicing away at his opponents, Zoro strayed further into the mass of people, leaving Sanji’s back vulnerable. The lean cook kicked the other pirates clear into next week, breaking shoulders, shattering jaws, and making sure none of them ever had kids. 

What was supposed to be a fiery turn on his heel ended up being Sanji slipping on the slick wood of the deck as the very same moment the frilly man jumped towards him with his arms extended, desperate to lay his hands on Sanji to activate his power. Zoro turned just in time to see Sanji slip into the splits and before he could stand back up, the frilly oaf landed on him.

“Curly!” He shouted over the roar of the rain. Cutting people down as he made his way over, he could tell something was wrong as he suddenly couldn’t see Sanji anymore. Zoro freaked and bolted to the frilly man, kicking him over, thinking he had killed his partner. The man laughed and laughed saying he did it! Finally, he’d be accepted into a higher rank among the fleet. Zoro’s jaw dropped when he saw a small boy with golden hair in a pile of what used to be an adult Sanji’s clothes. The swordsman rounded on the fat man, pointing Kitetsu at his throat, poking it hard into his jugular. “What did you do to my  _ nakama.” _

Lightning flashed across Zoro’s scarred face, creating harsh lines that accentuated how incredibly serious he had become. The enemy pirate stuttered his answer, understanding full well that he had _royally_ fucked up. “I - I used my p-power on him!” The man winced. Sanji lay next to him unconscious from the immense weight of the fat man.

The blonde was turned into a younger version of himself. He lay there, cheek pressed against the deck as the rain pelted his pale skin. Something about Sanji’s child form made Zoro uncomfortable, something was  _ off  _ about him.

While Zoro tried to make the man of frills talk, two pirates came lunging forward to capture Sanji in a burlap sack. Capturing any Straw Hat would be worth their time as they’d be rich! Within a blink of an eye, their heads were sliced clean off leaving blood to spray out from their shoulders, their bodies dropped like bags of sand. Zoro snatched Sanji up in his arms, sure to keep the now oversized button-up wrapped around him for cover, and returned Kitetsu to the Devil Fruit user. “Turn him back.”

“I - I can’t!” he sputtered, scared out of his mind as he just witnessed his crewmates slaughtered. Zoro pressed downward making the sword’s point dig into the man’s skin. “I can’t just yet, at least!”

“Explain before I stick this all the way in,” Zoro said about Kitetsu. The bloodlust oozing from the cursed sword was leaking right into Zoro’s mind. With the curse’s spell seeping into his mind, mixing with his anger and heating his blood, it was hard for Zoro to hold back. Sanji getting turned into a child was not looking good for the man who lay at the end of the sword.

“It either lasts forever or until I change it back! And I can’t change it for at least two weeks!”

Groaning, Zoro shook his head trying to grasp what he meant. Deciding it wasn’t worth asking the nice way, Zoro sheathed his sword and yanked the man up by his collar and dragged him to the edge of the boat, letting him dangle over the angry ocean’s waves. “Why two weeks?”

“P - pleeease don’t drop me! I’ll do anything! Please don’t drop me!”

_ “WHY TWO WEEKS?”  _ Zoro roared. He never got an answer because the man had passed out from fear, his body had fallen slack in Zoro’s hold. Growling in frustration, Zoro looked down at the small boy in his arms and grit his teeth. He still seemed to be unconscious but he was shivering something awful, the button up was soaking wet. The Adult-Sanji was fine in this weather, but a child? Zoro took note to the dark circles under the kid’s eyes before he lept over the boats to reach his captain, Sanji in one arm and the frilly man dragging behind in the other.

“Oi, Luffy!” Zoro said as he came in range of the chaotic fight Luffy was in the middle of. The Sunny’s captain was laughing as he swung people around and broke stuff. The deck was littered with groaning bodies that Luffy had already pummeled. “Luffy, we gotta wrap this up. Look,” he said flicked his head to the boy in his arms.

“Hah?” Luffy said over the rain. Thunder clapped and the rubber boy threw a few pirates over the boat’s edge. “What did you say? Who are those people?” he asked, looking to Zoro’s hands.

“We have to go! This is Sanji!” Zoro brought his arm up a little to indicate he meant the boy with yellow hair, then glared down at the piece of shit pirate who did this to him. “He’s at fault. Let’s go,” was all he said before he jumped to the Sunny.

It took a moment for Luffy to register what had just happened. “That’s...Sanji?” Zoro had said the boy in his hands was Sanji...and the more Luffy thought about it, that little kid did have a swirly eyebrow just like his chef does. And Zoro was very serious, more serious than he normally is. The situation clicked in his head and Luffy grabbed ahold of his hat flapping behind him on the string around his neck and placed it on his head. “You hurt my  _ nakama,” _

Luffy blew on his finger until his foot became a bazillion times its normal size and slammed it down on the ships that were lined up, taking them all out at once. The fight had started off as fun for him and the others, but now the game had ended. 

Zoro hopped onto Sunny and the impact jolted Sanji awake. His small hands clutched Zoro’s green trench coat, grabbing the man’s attention. “Oh, you’re awake. Look what you got yourself into, Dumbass,” he said casually and tossed the frilly man towards Chopper’s swing.

“Who are you!” the tiny Sanji voice squeaked.

Before Zoro could reply, Nami appeared and bonked him over the head, causing him to drop Sanji who fell on his butt. The silky, mustard yellow button-up fell to the side a little, draping down his small frame. He sat there in surprise as he looked up at the green-haired man who was just holding him who was now grasping the top of his head and shouting at a woman behind him.

“What are you doing just standing around! Kick these brutes overboard!” Nami yelled and stomped her heel into an enemy pirate’s back. “And I saw you bring one aboard! What makes you think we want more!” She yelled and bonked Zoro over the head again with her Climatact.

“Don’t hit him!” Sanji yelled.

Nami and Zoro immediately turned to the small voice.  _ “Why did you bring a kid?” _ Nami shrieked, pointing her rod at the boy. 

“It’s not just a kid! It’s -”

“We can’t have you bringing things back here, we get too much of that crap from Luffy,”

“I’m not! This isn’t just some kid, this is-”

“And this isn’t a charity, so get rid of him - and the rest of these guys!” she yelled, pointing once again to the beaten pirates around them. She continued rattling on all while swinging her Climatact around, occasionally hitting Zoro despite Sanji’s previous protest.

Hating that the witch wouldn’t let him speak, he turned to Sanji for help, always relying on him to deal with the navigator so he didn’t have to, but Sanji looked horrified, frozen in place.

“Stop!” Zoro shouted at Nami, holding his hand up and crouching next to the boy. “He’s  _ shaking.” _ Zoro noticed how the boy’s huge, blue eyes were glassy and his mouth was tugged into a quivering frown. Knowing his trembling was half from the cold, Zoro tugged his coat off and wrapped the huge thing around Sanji. Zoro glared up at Nami after she had finally shut the hell up and said through gritted teeth, “This is Sanji.”

Nami laughed and slapped her knee. “He looks like him yes. Anyway, clean this up and let’s head out.”

The captain jumped aboard and quickly approached Zoro. “What did you mean that was Sanji?” He had heard Zoro say that twice now and when it comes to his crewmates, he took their well-being quite seriously. It was then that Usopp and Franky had come around with the rest of the crew following behind. Everyone towered over the poor boy, except Zoro who still crouched next to him holding the giant piece of cloth covering up what little dignity he had left. “That kid is Sanji?”

“Yes,” Zoro said. “And he asked me who I was.”

“You don’t know Zoro?” Luffy asked the boy, already accepting it was Sanji without further speculation. 

The little boy looked from Luffy to Zoro to Luffy again and gave a shake of his head. “I don’t know who any of you are.” He said quietly, his voice almost lost under the pouring rain.

Something must have registered in Chopper’s brain as he excitedly yelped in his spot and told everyone to get inside to prevent sickness. Everyone obliged, shuffling their way to the galley. Luffy had snatched up Sanji like he was a football while Zoro grabbed the frilly man by his face and dragged him inside.

“Why are you bringing that guy in here?” Usopp asked, avoiding both of them. “Dump him overboard with the rest!”

“This man turned Sanji into  _ that _ and he said he could reverse it.” All eyes focused on the man that loosely hung from Zoro’s fist. “But he can’t do it right away,” Zoro said angrily. He tossed the man in the far corner away from any doors and flopped on the couch next to Luffy and Sanji.

Everyone in the room watched Luffy toss Sanji into the air and catch him. The little boy, (and Luffy) giggled a little, glad for playful attention. Nami’s brow twitched as she saw how comfortable Sanji was with Luffy, as he would be only if he were familiar with him. She stalked over and stood in front of the couch and eyed Sanji as he went up in down. “Sanji-kun, stop pulling our leg! You know who we are!” she said and smacked Sanji out of the air and back into Luffy’s lap.

Luffy glared at her and Zoro shot forward, “Don’t do that to him, you Witch!” Zoro said and protectively put an arm over Sanji’s small back as he shook in fear against Luffy’s chest, whimpering. There was a collective gasp from the whole room except the three on the couch.

After her initial shock wore off, Nami leaned forward. “Why do you care, Asshole? You hate Sanji-kun.”

It was true, the two of them didn’t get along whatsoever unless they were in the midst of a battle together. But something seemed off and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. “Didn’t you hear him? He doesn’t know who were are! We’re strangers to him!” He said trying to defend himself from their accusation. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet. “And can’t you tell something is different about him?”

“Well, he’s a kid now, so - there’s that.” Usopp chimed in. Zoro shot him a glare and made him cower behind Brook.

“No,  _ baka! _ Look at him,”

The Straw Hats leaned in and tried to get a good look at the boy but that made him tremble even more. He hid his face in Luffy’s shoulder and pulled Zoro’s trench coat over his head to hide.

An urge to shoo everyone away surged through Zoro. He jumped up and grabbed Sanji, placing him on his hip making his way out of the kitchen. He scooped up Chopper in his other arm when he passed by. He turned to Luffy and inclined his head towards the unconscious man in the corner. “When he wakes, I want to know.” Luffy nodded his understanding.

Zoro brought the two smallest Straw Hats in the infirmary. Setting Chopper into his spinny chair and Sanji on the bed, Zoro looked down at Sanji’s small frame. Knowing it wasn’t his place to do anything further, he turned to Chopper and looked at him expectantly, gesturing towards the boy. 

Understanding exactly what he meant, he squeaked “I’ll do a full check-up, Zoro!” and slid his doctor’s jacket on and got his tools. 

For the next few minutes while Chopper prepared, Zoro avoided looking at the blonde, he felt bad when he did. It was more like a guilty feeling because something was  _ very wrong  _ with Sanji _ and _ he let his partner down. They were supposed to have each other’s backs! When Sanji slipped in his loafers, Zoro should have been there not a half-second later to protect him while he regained his footing.

The blonde looked over at Zoro, who faced away from him. His large frame leaned against the bed with crossed arms watching Chopper. “Uhm, do you know why I’m here?” he asked politely and placed his hand on Zoro’s elbow.

Zoro recoiled into himself from the touch. “Cause someone used a Devil Fruit on you, Curly,” he quickly said and turned away even more so the boy was out of his peripheral. Sanji was going to say more but Chopper had jumped atop the bed.

“I’m going to use this metal thing here to listen to your heart and breathing, okay? It won’t hurt, I promise!” Chopper said holding his stethoscope up and twisting it. It shined in the light. Sanji nodded, allowing Chopper to continue.

When Chopper pulled down Zoro’s coat and unbuttoned the over-sized shirt, he gasped. Zoro turned to look and couldn’t help but making a noise of shock himself. Sanji looked like he wanted to cry because of the way they were looking at him, but how could they  _ not _ freak out when they looked down and Sanji’s ribcage was almost visible through his skin and bruises littered across his chest? Slowly, Chopper undressed Sanji entirely and sure enough, the rest of him looked just the same. 

There were scratch marks everywhere, a few knicks here and there, and so,  _ so much _ bruising. Knowing that’s what they were looking at, Sanji wrapped his frail arms around himself, his arms that seemed a little too skinny for someone his age. 

Chopper closed his eyes, fighting back tears, and looked at Zoro. “He’s malnourished...and…and...”

“Abused.” Zoro finished with a fire in his words. Those weren’t marks that all kids got when they were young. Zoro knows what kids should look like when they play outside, fall from a tree, or skid their knee - this wasn’t it. Suddenly, the dark circles under his eyes registered to Zoro as someone who doesn’t get enough sleep, is put through too much stress, and most definitely isn’t eating enough.

The boy wasn’t entirely too skinny, but he was definitely underweight, even Zoro could tell that. “Why does he look like that, Chopper? I picked him up the moment he was turned, no one hurt him.” A sharp  _ pang  _ of guilt hit him in the stomach as he asked even though he knew the answer.  _ It didn’t happen just now. This happened when the cook was a kid.  _

Chopper didn’t answer, he only cried while he continued with his tests. He made sure to do x-rays for broken bones and blood tests to fully know Sanji’s situation. Zoro didn’t leave.

___

Two hours later the three of them came out of the infirmary and into the kitchen. No one had left. All were impatiently waiting for news of their  _ nakama.  _ Luffy wouldn’t allow anyone inside, having been switched into his mature-mode and taking charge. He could feel something was wrong, too, when he held the boy in his arms. Zoro had stepped up to handle it and Luffy trusted him to do so.

Zoro stood in the doorframe with Sanji on his hip. Chopper had lent him his clothes seeing as how all of his own was for an adult. Zoro had requested long sleeves and pants to hide as much of the abuse as possible. Of course, none of the crew would  _ say  _ anything about it, but sometimes you couldn’t help where your eyes wandered. 

While Chopper explained what was going on, Zoro went deeper into the kitchen, the side the cook normally was on, and leaned against the counter. Zoro felt like a piece of shit now that he knew a part of the cook he shouldn’t have. Sanji had never mentioned his past which meant it was supposed to stay that way, yet the whole crew knows now. Resting his head against Zoro’s shoulders, Sanji didn’t speak, which now that he was thinking about it, he hadn’t done much of since he’d been turned. Lots of nodding and small ‘yeah’s but that was it. Zoro knew he shouldn’t pry, it wasn’t right of him to know this part of the cook, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Hey, Curly,” he said gently into Sanji’s hair. “You’re quiet. Don’t feel like talkin?”

The boy squeezed his little fists over Zoro’s jacket causing it to wrinkle up. Zoro nudged his side until he finally answered. Quietly, Sanji said, “it’s easier if I keep my mouth shut,”

Shit, Zoro wasn’t expecting an answer like that. The progression of understanding Sanji’s potential childhood was increasing at a speed Zoro wasn’t comfortable with. Not entirely good with children, Zoro just talked to Sanji like he normally would, minus all the cursing and name-calling. “We don’t mind if you talk here, Curly.”

Sanji pushed away from Zoro’s chest, though his hands still clung to his trench. He cocked his head to the side and asked with a scrunched face, “Why do you call me that? Curly?”

Zoro chuckled. “Oh, you don’t know?” Sanji innocently shook his head and waited for Zoro to tell him why. “Cause of these swirly things you got goin on here,” he laughed and poke Sanji’s forehead.

Sanji’s small hands reached to feel for his face. “My...my eyebrows?”

“Yup.  _ Curly _ eyebrows. That’s you.” Zoro couldn’t help but continue chuckling. 

“All of my siblings are like this,” Sanji’s eyes narrowed to look at Zoro’s forehead, seeing his were ‘normal.’ “I kinda like them,” he said with a smile.

Zoro’s laughter died out. “You like your eyebrows all weird like that?” Sanji nodded with a cheesy smile. Zoro turned to look behind him at the rest of his crew to see if anyone was looking his way, which they weren’t. All were listening intently to Chopper’s diagnosis. Looking back down at the blonde and since the coast was clear, Zoro reached for Sanji’s bangs and pushed them away so his entire face was visible. “If you like them so much, why do you hide your face like that?”

The brightest smile Zoro had ever seen Sanji give was painted across his face right now making Zoro wince away. He didn’t think he’d make the idiot-cook happy! Then Sanji lunged forward and hugged Zoro around the neck. “Oi, oi! People will see!” Zoro whispered and tried prying the boy from him.

“Zoro, you can bring Sanji over here now!” Chopper called out. He clapped his hooves together in excitement when Sanji was in view again. “Sanji! Did you want to tell everyone what you told Zoro and me in my office?” Sanji paled at the thought of talking to so many strange people. There was a skeleton in the room for crying out loud! 

From across the room, Luffy spoke up. “It’s okay, Sanji! We like you,” he said and gave the boy a thumbs up. It seemed all Sanji really needed was a little truth of encouragement.

Zoro crouched down to let Sanji stand on his own, suddenly feeling awkward he was holding his rival. He tried to stand back up but Sanji wouldn’t let go of his coat, keeping him at his level. Zoro could feel he was shaking. Feeling guilty,  _ again,  _ the swordsman stayed in a squat and, reluctantly pulled the little boy between his legs and turned him to face everyone. Sanji placed his hands on Zoro’s knees before he shyly spoke. “Hi,”

Franky and Brook immediately burst into tears screaming about how utterly adorable Sanji was and how they could pinch his little cheeks and love him forever. The robotic man was so huge in comparison to the room, his arms flailing about. The Skeleton cried and cried, where the water was coming from, Sanji had no idea, but he was scared. The moment the loud noises broke out, he turned back into Zoro’s chest and hid his face in the coat.

The crying ceased when Zoro growled. “You’re frightening him,” he said and rubbed Sanji’s back. “Hey, hey, they’re friendly, remember? Don’t you want to tell them what you told me earlier?” he asked, his voice barely audible as he spoke only to the small boy. Sanji shook his head and began to cry. Sighing, Zoro glared at Brook and Franky, then looked to Chopper to take over.

“Right,” he said a little sadly. They were making progress in his office with Sanji talking but he seemed to revert into the scared little boy again. “We asked Sanji a few questions to see what he knows so we know how to treat him. He told me and Zoro he doesn’t know who any of us are, where he is, or how he got here. All he knows is he came to in Zoro’s arms.” In the back, Zoro heard Robin snicker. “Remember when Nami, Brook, Robin, and I were aged backward by that woman but we retained our memories? Nami was still able to navigate, I was still a doctor, etcetera? Well…” Chopper looked at the shaking Sanji who still hid his face from them. “That Fruit works differently from this one, as you know no two Fruits are the same.”

“So, like, he’s just a kid, then?” Nami interrupted, waving her hand before putting it back on her jutted hip.

“No, not at all.” Chopper said a little choked up. “Those injuries I mentioned...Sanji was transferred back in  _ time.” _

Usopp and Nami shared a look. “What do you mean, Chopper? You all were transferred back in time, too. What’s different about that?” Usopp asked.

Chopper clicked his hooves together nervously. Pointing out how the Fruit worked in front of the boy seemed wrong. “No, no!” he squeaked again, tears welling up in his eyes. “The Fruit we were affected by only  _ aged  _ us backward.  _ Only _ our age and bodies changed. Our  _ knowledge _ was still there. But that right there,” Chopper pointed over, “is the exact same Sanji as he was when he was seven years old.”

Hearing the news again still hit Zoro like a ton of bricks. The comparison between the two Devil Fruits was  _ huge  _ when you thought about all the things Sanji no longer knows. The little boy in his arms seemed to have calmed while Chopper spoke for him, but he still refused to face everyone.

Just then, the fat man in the corner moaned, beginning to stir awake. Zoro was at his side in a flash with Wado Ichimonji at his throat. This man never showed any sign of strength, nothing that could ever overpower even the weakest crew member, but Zoro  _ hated  _ him for what he did to his rival. Sanji was supposed to  _ only _ be a strong man who was his equal. They were the same age and grew together on their journey with Luffy, becoming more and more powerful. Now Zoro was exposed to a weakness of Sanji’s - his past. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, dammit! Sanji didn’t tell them about this for a reason!

“If you even think of moving, I’ll slice off your legs,” Zoro said through gritted teeth. He held Sanji in his arm tightly as if the man merely looked at him he would revert even further in time. “Now tell us why it takes two weeks to turn my  _ nakama  _ back.”

The room was completely silent as they listened to the venom in Zoro’s voice. Even Luffy sat back, letting Zoro take the lead. The frilly man’s chest heaved up and down with fright and he began to sweat. The longer he stayed quiet, the harder Zoro pushed Wado into him. “Well...you see,” he began and darted his eyes around to see exactly who surrounded him. A strange group indeed. “It used to be a month, you know!” he said proudly as if that mattered at all.

_ “I’m getting careless,”  _ Zoro growled and slid the tip of his katana down the man’s round tummy and stopped at his knee cap.

“W-what I mean is, I have gotten better at turning people back! It used to be a whole month before I could do it!” he explained, waving his hands about. He retracted them when Zoro flicked his eyes at his exposed hands that could turn anyone else here into a child. “I’m not very good at my Devil Fruit just yet. I’ve only just started to be able to send people to an exact age, you know. That’s the easier part, though, what’s hard is putting them back to their original age. It’s like a cooldown on it - that the same person can’t be affected twice.”

Robin stepped forward, pressing passed the others, and looked down at the man. “What is your name?” she asked.

“Uh, m-my name? It’s Quillard.”

“Wonderful,” she said with a soft smile that could melt hearts. “Quillard, you say you cannot turn little Cook-san back into an adult because he’s already been touched by you before?” The man nodded. “And you’ve only mastered your power enough to touch the same person twice to two weeks?” The man nodded again, more confidently now that someone as charming as Robin was being kind to him. She thought the information over for a moment before speaking again. “Well, I guess that means you’re going to be staying with us for a while,” she giggled.

Quillard paled. Of course, he wasn’t getting away. He was being held captive by the infamous Straw Hats. “But...but my crew will be looking for me,” he said meekly.

In her special, creepy way, Robin kneeled next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. With a smile, she said, “My captain laid waste to your ships and drowned your crew.” She stood tall and let her smile fade before taking her leave from the kitchen.

Zoro always liked Robin. She was a good gal. Turning his attention back on the now crying Quillard, Zoro sheathed Wado and said, “You’re gonna stay here on this ship until you can turn the cook back to his right age.” He turned to look at the rest of his crewmates until his gaze landed on Luffy. The two shared a look of understanding, nodding to each other in confirmation of their unsaid conversation. “You’ll eat your meals and take your sleep with us. You’re not a prisoner and won’t be treated as such,” he finished and left the galley as well.

___

Zoro caught up with Robin in the Aquarium room. She was looking through the books when he entered with Sanji still wrapped around his torso. “Oi, Robin.”

Without turning, Robin hummed letting Zoro know she was listening. Her fingers touched over each spine as if she was looking for a particular book.

“Uh, I was wondering if you wanted to…” Blagh, Zoro felt so awkward because this wasn’t just ‘some kid,’ it was Sanji, the chef to this ship, his  _ rival!  _ “If you wanted to like, take him?”

Sanji looked up at Zoro who avoided his wounded stare. “You don’t want me?” He said with a quivering lip.

Zoro’s mouth flattened as he  _ yiked  _ in his head. “No, no, that’s not it!” Zoro tried to retract what he said.

Robin grabbed a book down and faced the two of them, softly giggling as she liked to do. Her hand covered her mouth while her eyes closed. “Oh, little Cook-san, don’t think like that,” she said and handed him a book. Sanji looked at it and his eyes widened with surprise. “You’re very welcome by everyone on this ship. We are your family, you know.”

“How did you know I liked cooking, miss?” He asked once he read the book title, a blush spreading across his face as Robin leaned in close.

“I had a hunch,” she said and brought her hand behind Sanji’s head to hold him still while she kissed his forehead. “And please, call me Robin.”

Sanji’s  _ and  _ Zoro’s cheeks reddened when Robin’s lips came into contact with Sanji. “Oi, oi, don’t be doin that! This is still the Curly-idiot, you know!” Zoro squawked and waved her away. Once Robin returned to the bookcase to find something for herself, Zoro knelt and set Sanji up on his feet. “Look, I can’t hold you all day, Curly. You have to do things for yourself, too.”

Sanji looked up at the back of Robin and smiled, then looked to Zoro. “Will you read with me?” he asked with hope lined in his voice and held the book out for Zoro to take.

Zoro raised his hand to run through his hair, and Sanji flinched backward, instinctively bringing the book up to cover his face. Zoro froze in place, shocked that such a small gesture would affect him like that. Feeling a bit guilty, he didn’t want to leave the kid now, but he had to help do other shit. Sighing, he plopped his hand on top of Sanji’s head slow enough the kid would know he didn’t mean any harm. “I can’t, Curly, I’ve gotta go back out in the rain, where  _ you  _ can’t go. But Robin will be here with you. She likes to read.” Zoro mustered up a smile for Sanji and said in a low voice, “Maybe if you ask nicely, she will read with you.”

“You think so!” Sanji whispered back, excitement exploding at every seam.

Trying to repress a gag from being so nice, Zoro fake-smiled and nodded. When he began to leave, Sanji ran to Robin and Zoro heard him ask if he was allowed to read next to her on the seating.

Closing the door behind him, the rain pelted Zoro’s face. Some men groaned and held their wounds and some who were just plain dead. It was his duty as one of the more ruthless ones in the crew to take care of the bloody dead things, which was fine with him. As he kicked the last few dead men overboard, the swordsman looked up to the sky. It didn’t look as threatening as it did a few hours ago, especially not as bad when Sanji had made that one mistake of slipping across the wood.

Zoro shook his head in anger. There once was a time when he asked the cook why he wore those stupid loafers which weren’t ideal for fighting. He could have steel-toe boots like him! Grippies on the bottom and all! Imagine the damage Sanji could cause with his powerful kicks with steel behind them!  _ But no0o0o0o0o0, _ he insisted on wearing those nice leather shoes to match his stupid suits - which were also impractical to fight in! Zoro shook his head again. It was no use to bring that shit up. The two of them fought time and time again but it was no use, Sanji would dress how he wanted.

After Zoro had cornered the rest of the living bandits, he called out for Luffy. The rain lightened up, allowing some of the sun to shine through the thinning clouds. Luffy and Usopp came barreling out of the kitchen to answer Zoro’s call.

“Zoroooooo!” Luffy yelled out, grabbing hold of his shoulder from across the ship and flinging himself to stand next to him. “Where’d you put Sanji?” he asked and looked around Zoro’s torso to see if a small boy was clinging to him.

“S-stoppit, will you!” Zoro shouted and pushed his captain away. “He’s with Robin!”

“Okay!” Luffy said and looked at the men before him. “Who are they?”

Usopp came over by then and interjected. “Oi, Luffy, those are the rest of the men who attacked us.”

“Right, that’s why I called you over here. Wanted to know what to do with’em,” Zoro asked. He leaned on a hip and felt the hilts of his swords as he counted the pirates out. Sixteen, seventeen in total if you counted Quillard.

Luffy plopped to the ground making the wet grass squish under his butt. “Hmmmmm,” he said with a hand to his chin. “Well, we could kill’em,” The men perked up and started shouting, pleading for their lives. Even Usopp chimed in saying that was too harsh, bonking Luffy on the head. Luffy laughed, “Okay, okay! I guess we can drop them off on the next island, right? We will keep Frilly for the two weeks, though.”

The men visibly sagged in relief hearing that. Some even thanked Luffy for his kindness. But Zoro wasn’t all that forgiving, nor was he all that trusting. The swordsman moved to stand more directly in front of them, making them cower again. “If any of you so much as  _ piss  _ the wrong way, I will slice you in half without a second thought.” While the men screamed in horror saying they’d never do such a thing, Luffy laughed. “The only place to hold all of you will be the Aquarium. You’ll stay there until you’re told otherwise.” Zoro said and beckoned with his hand for them to follow. They all but tripped over themselves to do as The Pirate Hunter told them, eager to please and stay alive.

Once they reached the door, he motioned for them to wait and entered alone. “Robin, Cook, yer gonna have to -”

“Zoro! You came back!” Sanji yelled and jumped off the couch making a beeline towards him. He wrapped his arms around Zoro’s legs with a warm hug. “Robin is so nice! She read to me the whole time.”

Zoro’s eye twitched. Kids weren’t his thing and neither was the cook, and this kid  _ was  _ the cook. “Heh, yeah…” he said and looked to Robin. “Uh, you two should leave now. I’m gonna put the rest of those bastards in here until we get to the next island.”

Robin made no effort to move. “I’ll stay here, Swordsman-san. Someone will need to keep an eye on them, right?” She smiled confidently. Robin was strong enough in Zoro’s eyes, her Devil Fruit being extremely powerful and she used it well.

“Fine. C’mon, we’re gonna go to the training room for a bit until dinner is... _ shit,” _ he said. Who the hell would make dinner if Sanji was a damn child? “Ugh, c’mon, Curly.” Zoro snatched Sanji’s hand in his and pulled him through the doorframe, then gestured for the pirates to file inside. Most of them grumbled under their breath that they felt as if they were being held hostage but they were quickly elbowed in the side to keep quiet lest they die by the hand of Zoro. Once the last man shuffled in, Zoro reached in to shut the door, seeing Robin grab all sixteen men with multiple produced hands, twisting their backs just enough so they knew not to fuck around with her. When the door shut with a small  _ click,  _ Zoro laughed.


	2. Sleepy Sanji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Light talks of child abuse. Nothing too detailed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

Nami had suggested Usopp and Brook work together to make dinner while Sanji was still a child, even though he protested saying he liked to cook and wanted to help.

Once the pirate bandits were safely tucked away, the day was pretty easy for Zoro, even if he was on babysitting duty. First, he scoffed and tried to weasel his way out of taking care of Sanji any more than he had to, but when he looked down (he knew he shouldn’t have looked down), Sanji’s face showed how brokenhearted he was hearing Zoro didn’t want to hang out with him. Stupid, shitty cook still getting his way even when he’s a stupid, shitty kid.

The only thing Zoro did to pass time during the day was to eat, sleep, and train. And since the food wasn’t done yet and he couldn’t very well sleep while babysitting, the only thing left to do was to train. Zoro guided Sanji up to the Crow’s Nest and told him to sit still while he lifted his weights.

Surprisingly, Sanji complied. There wasn’t a twenty-minute argument like there would have been if he’d had asked the question yesterday when Sanji was an adult. A flying shoe didn’t come at him to kick him in the face. The blonde simply climbed atop the seating and sat there smiling at the swordsman as he worked out. It kinda annoyed Zoro, though, he missed the fighting between the two. The bickering was also part of Zoro’s daily schedule.

The Crow’s Nest, a.k.a. Gym smelled stale of old sweat. Zoro pulled a training mat out and began his stretches before his official workout. While Zoro squatted massive weights over his shoulders, he felt the boy looking at him. Looking up, Sanji was there _still_ smiling at him, kicking his feet over the edge of the seat like the innocent boy he was. Zoro stuck his tongue out and made a raspberry noise hoping to piss him off, except the boy only giggled and puffed his cheeks and crossed his eyes back at Zoro. The man sighed but couldn’t hide his smile. _Sanji was kinda cute as a kid, wasn’t he?_

At that, Zoro’s mind trailed into darker thoughts. _If he’s such a nice kid, why does he have so many bruises? Who abuses children, anyway?_ It made Zoro sick to think of such things, so he shook them from his head and continued making faces at Sanji while lifting weights until dinner was done. It ended up being an easy task to watch him, having put no effort in at all.

___

The Straw Hats crowded into the galley and sat at their usual spots. Luffy was there first, as always, at the head of the table where the captain belonged. Zoro to his right, and Sanji to his...Zoro looked around for Sanji, expecting him to know where to go. There was an unofficial seating chart, and Sanji was supposed to sit on the left of his captain! 

The little blonde was helping set the table for Usopp. He brought in the forks and napkins, trotting up to Franky to put atop the table, then squeezed himself between Zoro and Usopp, climbing onto the bench and making himself at home. Zoro frowned. “Your spot is over there,” he growled and pointed to the place next to Nami. Sanji followed his hand and saw the red-head staring at him with her huge, chocolate brown eyes. She smiled and patted the bench seat next to her but Sanji leaned into Zoro’s side and hid his face. Zoro tugged his arm away and was going to tell Sanji to stop being a baby, but the kid was lightly tugging on his trench coat for him to lean down.

Zoro put his ear close to Sanji to hear what he had to say. Sanji’s little hand cupped over his mouth while he whispered, “She scares me.”

Quickly pulling away with surprise, Zoro couldn’t believe what he just heard. _Nami scares Sanji?!?! But he’s head-over-heels for her,_ he thought. Wracking his brain to think of any reason the small boy would be afraid of her, it dawned on him. The first time he saw the witch after he was turned, she was hitting Zoro. Then she hit Sanji when Luffy was playing with him. _She’s abusive…_

Zoro’s stomach turned. “Fine, just eat your food quietly, then.” Zoro huffed, trying to act casual. Nami looked crushed, but what else could Zoro do? _Make_ Sanji sit over there, somewhere he didn’t want to be? “And eat it fast cause of this idiot,” Zoro hiked a thumb to his left at Luffy who was drooling buckets as Brook brought over a colossal sized bowl of spaghetti.

Dinner was served! Even though Sanji was a small boy, their _nakama_ were altogether happy, healthy, and alive. Even if Sanji was never returned to his normal age, they’d never give him away. He was family, no matter what.

A few times Zoro had to stick his fork into the soft flesh of Luffy’s hand before it snagged his or Sanji’s food. The rubbery arm snaked its way across the table trying to sneak a piece of garlic bread but was cut short each time. Seeing Zoro hadn’t been exaggerating, Sanji shoveled his food down faster. When he was done, he sort of made a sour face as if he didn’t quite like the sauce. He leaned forward to look down the table at Brook and wondered if he was the one who made it but didn’t say anything, even though he _clearly_ had something on his mind.

After dinner, Robin brought the other pirates and Quillard their share, offering them their bread, plates, utensils, and their choice of drink. Her Devil Fruit hands carried everything while her wide hips swayed back and forth, leading the way. Many of the pirates drooled with heart eyes and making lewd comments, but she was sure to close their jaw with a sprouted hand from the floor, making them bite their tongue.

___

The rain had let up long ago and the shining sun had dried the grass out on the deck. With their bellies full, the Straw Hats lounged around. Luffy and Chopper chased little Sanji around the boat, making him squeal in excitement. The sound was irritating to listen to, but at least the boy was happy. Wherever he came from, his childhood wasn’t anything near like what he was experiencing right now. 

Zoro leaned back on the mast and fought off the Z’s that threatened to take him over. He was tired from the busy day but he didn’t feel right letting Sanji out of his sight. He was partially responsible for what had happened to him and he was going to make sure he made up for it. Although Luffy was there to oversee the kid, it didn’t guarantee he was going to be okay. Zoro didn’t entirely know Luffy’s upbringing, but he remembers hearing Luffy say his grandpa would leave him in the jungle for weeks to fend for his own. Now, Zoro didn’t think Adult-Sanji was weak, but Kid-Sanji…

The swordsman followed Sanji running around with his eye and when he ran out of view, he listened to where his tiny feet pitter-pattered away until he came back, joyously laughing as Luffy tickled him and Chopper licked his face, galloping at his side. The three horsed around long enough that Sanji later crawled over to him, gasping for breath.

As he reached out for Zoro to help him get away from the other two, Sanji was snatched up by Luffy, his arms extending out from an upper deck and snapping him to his chest. Sanji laughed the whole time! It was honestly hard not to smile while watching the kid get the attention he probably needed most. Not until the sun had finally lowered behind the horizon did Luffy let up on little Sanji, as he tired himself out in the process, too.

Franky had set out the portable campfire so they could crowd around to get cozy, then pulled out his acoustic guitar while Brook hummed new melodies. Robin had to stop reading as it became too dark, so she settled for watching the two musicians play. Usopp and Luffy were arguing over what beetle was cooler while Chopper chimed in here and there. Then there was Nami, who had pulled her lounge chair next to the fire and looked at Sanji who was sitting behind Zoro out of view of everyone.

“Sanji-kun, you can come sit with me!” She said and offered her hand out for the boy to take. The folding chair creaked as she leaned forward to see around Zoro’s bulky frame.

The blonde grabbed ahold of Zoro’s coat and peaked an eye to see if Nami was still staring - which she was. Her smile looked friendly, and her voice was so angelic, but all day she had been hitting people. Sanji tugged at the coat for Zoro’s attention. When the man looked down, Sanji darted his eyes to Nami who called for him again. 

“Just tell her no, Curly. Y’aint gotta go.” Zoro lazily said with a shrug.

Hesitantly, Sanji made his way around Zoro to face Nami (from afar). He shook his head no and then crawled into Zoro’s lap.

“Oi, oi! What do you think yer doin!” The swordsman said with disgust, but Sanji cradled himself in between Zoro’s sash and coat like a kitten. “You can’t just do whatever you want, you know!”

Sanji nuzzled his head against Zoro’s warm torso. “But you make me feel safe,” he said quietly so only the two of them could hear.

That made Zoro’s face turn red with embarrassment. “Shhhh!” His head immediately jerked up to see if anyone else heard. “Don’t say shit like that, kid!” The boy giggled and wiggled his hands under the thick, green haramaki, his icy fingers making Zoro tuck his stomach in to avoid them. **_“OI!”_ ** Zoro shouted and grabbed Sanji’s head with a single hand, forcing him to look up at him. “What did I just say! You can’t do whatever!”

“Please, Zoro?” Sanji asked with a sleepy smile. “You’re warm.”

The entire time this happened, Nami was watching with a pout. “I’m warm too, yanno.” She said and puffed her cheeks out and leaned back in her chair. Her arms crossed with defiance. “Why won’t don’t you like me, Sanji-kun!”

The little blonde boy looked over to Nami and stuck his tongue out. “Zoro is nicer,” he said and both Zoro and Nami’s jaw dropped to the floor. Zoro was going to protest, but when he looked down, Sanji’s eyes were drooping, sleep finally trying to take over.

With a sigh, Zoro gave it up. He shrugged at Nami who still couldn’t believe Zoro was favored over her. The swordsman made a stinky face that he was stuck with Sanji falling asleep on him, but couldn’t help his arms from wrapping under his small body to support him better.

___

Zoro must have dozed off because he was suddenly woken up by Robin, her hand laid gently on his shoulder. She smiled softly and said, “The fire has gone out and we’re heading to bed. Franky is watching over the bandits. Would you like me to take little Cook-san from you?”

Blinking away the sleep from his eye, Zoro looked around where his crewmates were some time ago. Last he remembered, Luffy was swinging himself from Franky’s arm and Chopper was roasting marshmallows. _Sanji would have wanted one, I bet._ Speaking of, Zoro looked down and the little shit was out cold, still curled against him. The moonlight lit the deck up, highlighting Sanji’s pale skin. Zoro noticed the faintest smile while he slept. When the cook wasn’t running his mouth or fawning over the ladies, he was pleasant. Without realizing what he was doing, Zoro’s hand came up to brush golden bangs back to expose his dumb eyebrows.

“I take that as a no?” Robin said, interrupting his thoughts.

Zoro snapped his hand back in a rush, embarrassed he forgot Robin was there. “Yeah, yeah, fuckin take him!” He said and maneuvered Sanji into her arms. “But don’t let him sleep in the middle of you and the witch...he don’t like her.”

Giggling as she left, Robin hummed her understanding.

Relief washed over him as he watched Robin take over. He trusted her to abide by Sanji’s wishes and keep him away from Nami. The sky was clear, showing off its billions of stars, their reflection in the water multiplying them. Zoro sighed into the night’s air, closing his one good eye. He still couldn’t believe the damn cook was turned into a child! _I should have had his back._

___

After Robin had woken him up, Zoro’s sleep left him for the moment. With his sudden energy, he cleaned up on deck after everyone, then headed to the kitchen to see if dishes needed to be done. When he entered the galley, Brook was sitting on the couch. The room had only a lamp on in the far corner, casting deep shadows over his skull. To anyone but a Straw Hat, walking in on this scene would have been horrifying, but it was just Brook; a lanky, perverted skeleton.

Zoro nodded his way when he saw those two empty eye sockets look to him. Once into the kitchen, Zoro turned on the light and looked around for something to clean, but everything had been done already and even put away. “Who did dishes?” Zoro asked gruffly. He was slightly disappointed as he was looking for something to do.

“I had Usopp’s help,” Brook said quietly. His body didn’t move, he stayed stone still in his place on the couch, though his head slowly turned as it followed Zoro coming towards him. His boney fingers were laced together in a neat pile on his lap. The swordsman flopped on the couch next to him with an exasperated sigh. “Something on your mind, Zoro-san?”

The room fell silent as Zoro thought about his answer. “Yeah, I guess so. Just the whole situation the cook got caught up in has been buggin me.” Zoro rubbed his face with his palm. “It’s my fault he ended up like that. Dumbass slipped with his girly shoes, you know. I was too far away and that fat fuck flopped on’em faster than I could get over there.”

Brook listened carefully, nodding his head as Zoro opened up to his fellow swordsman. “I see,” he said. It was quiet again, a comfortable silence. As Zoro continued his inner put-downs, Brooke hummed a familiar tune, it was one from earlier.

“New song ya workin on or something?”

Nodding, Brook said, “Yes, it is actually. I’m stuck on a certain part. I can’t seem to figure out the bridge. The chorus and verses are written, in my head of course, but that little space between needs help.” The tips of his fingers tapped against his thigh bone while he hummed over what he had again, abruptly stopping when it wasn’t right, then started again.

“M’no good with music, but what you have is nice so far. It’s soothing.” Zoro could feel his tiredness creeping back upon him. Sitting next to a friend late in the night while he hummed a melodic tune in his ear was a sure-fire way to put his ass to sleep. “S’nice,” he slurred.

“Ah, Zoro-san, you should get to your bunk,” Brook said, stopping the tune lulling Zoro to sleep. 

With a groan, Zoro agreed he was right. He stretched when he stood, thanked Brook for doing the dishes, and left. “Wait,” he said with his hand on the doorknob. “What are you doin in here all alone anyway? You could at least be with Franky in the Aquarium?”

Brook huffed a laugh and waved his hand. “I’m fine, I’m fine. I need to wind down by myself sometimes, say good night to people I haven’t talked to in a long while.”

Realizing Brook meant his old crewmates, Zoro sagged with the burden of understanding. “Don’t forget about Franky if you need him. Goodnight, Brook.” Zoro said and left the skeleton alone with his thoughts.

___

Sanji wrinkled his nose. A long, dark strand of hair had found its way to smother his face, tickling him awake. Swatting the hair away, he sat up and looked around waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark. As the inky black shapes slowly molded into chairs, nightstands, and piles of clothing, Sanji realized he was in a bedroom. He looked over and saw Robin and Nami sleeping in the huge, fluffy bed with him, and he was changed into some soft pajamas with a snowflake pattern.

Even though he was plenty warm next to Robin, Sanji didn’t want to cozy up with her and especially didn’t want to be in the same room as Nami. He wanted Zoro. Zoro was safe. He dangled his legs over the side and began to slide down when a pair of hands popped out of the side of the bed catching him in place.

“Where do you think you’re going, little Cook-san?” Robin whispered. She grabbed Sanji with her real arms and pulled him close. “It’s nighttime, you must sleep now.”

The boy wiggled around until he was inches from Robin’s face. “Robin?” he whispered back. The woman ran her fingers through his hair and asked what he needed. “I wanna sleep with Zoro.” 

Chuckling, Robin nodded her head in the dark. “I knew you would. Do you know where the boy’s bunk room is?”

Sanji remembered running through there when Luffy and Chopper were chasing him. “It’s the room with the beds that hang from the ceiling?”

“The very one. Now go straight there, no wandering. Zoro will surely cut off my head if something were to happen to you.”

Sanji gulped with fear. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Robin, sweety. Call me Robin.”

___

Once Zoro flopped his boots across the room, shrugged off his coat, and let his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light. How the hell did he think he could do the dishes when he was this tired? His little blast of energy hardly lasted at all! 

The bunk room seemed quieter than normal when Zoro entered. Franky’s constant mechanical _whirring_ and Brook’s snoring were missing, making it eerily empty. It’d only be him, Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp in the room tonight, at least until Brook decided it was time for bed.

Zoro’s arms lazily lay over his chest while both legs hung over the edges of the box on either side. His dreaming was heavily influenced by the day he had. They consisted of lots of floating men that looked like Quillard, and little blonde babies that danced at his feet. He swatted them away but they cried when he hit them. So noisy!

A creak on the wooden floor alerted him through his Haki. The ever lingering presence of his Haki was hard to turn off, it almost always being active. The strong sensation of something next to him pulled him from his deep sleep, his Haki beckoning him to wake up. His senses told him to reach out and grab it.

When he opened his eye, he was gripping Sanji’s small wrist in his hand. “Curly? What are you doing out of bed?”

“I don’t wanna sleep by Nami,” Sanji said, half lying, but he knew if he said he had only wanted to sleep with Zoro that the man would kick him back into the girl’s room. It worked, though, cause Zoro groaned and loosened his hold on the boy.

“Okay, your bed is right there, then.” He said coldly, pointing to the empty wooden bunk next to Zoro’s.

Sanji looked behind him, then back to Zoro. “But I don’t want to sleep alone…” he whimpered. He was _always_ alone. And when he wasn’t alone, he was being kicked and hit for being different. An outcast in his own family.

“Oh my god, if I let you sleep with me will you shut the hell up?” Zoro snapped, smacking his forehead in frustration and gritting his teeth. Sanji squeaked in excitement and tried to climb into the bed, but it was too high off the ground. The wooden box began to sway which, in turn, shook Luffy’s bed, too. “Oi, just ask for help, dammit!” Zoro angrily whispered and pulled Sanji up.

The boy squirmed about trying to get comfortable before Zoro shoved him to the side and wrapped his muscular arm around him with a huff. Sanji giggled and squished his face into Zoro’s neck with happiness. Once Sanji finally calmed down and Zoro thought he was on his way to falling back asleep, the boy started to trace his finger over Zoro’s grotesque scar. Little fingers felt the bumpy scar tissue and skidded across the ragged, horribly healed skin.

[ ](https://twitter.com/chow_bii/status/1293881402593697792)

“How did you get this scar, Zoro?”

“Lost a duel,” he answered quickly, urging Sanji to leave it be and sleep already.

“Will you tell me about it?”

Zoro sighed and groaned and sighed again. Why him? Why was he being pestered?! “Sure. If you promise to sleep!” Sanji’s head nodded against him agreeing to the promise. “I got this scar the day we met yo-” Zoro stopped for a moment. Chopper had said to keep Sanji’s adult life out of conversations so it didn’t influence Kid-Sanji in any way. The Devil Fruit that affected him was strange and Chopper didn’t want to risk messing anything up in Sanji’s future timeline. “The day we met a certain chef.”

“A chef?! Was he any good?”

“The best,” Zoro admitted. Not like the little bastard knew it was about him. “The day we met him, a Warlord visited. His name’s Dracule Mihawk, and he currently holds the title of the World’s Greatest Swordsman.” Sanji made little aweing noises as Zoro told the story. “But I wanted that title. Still do. So I challenged him, but I wasn’t strong enough. Compared to him, I was nothing. An ant to a god. Mihawk swung his mighty sword down across my chest, slicing me wide open.” Zoro finished with a diagonal motion across his front.

“Wow, that’s... _amazing,”_ Sanji whispered and continued to feel the scar. “Did it hurt?”

Zoro scoffed. “Of course it hurt, _baka._ It got real infected, too. S’why it’s all gross lookin.”

The air fell silent for a moment, but then Sanji spoke, startling Zoro. “I’ve got a scar,” Sanji whispered so quietly, Zoro barely heard it even though they were close together. “It’s on the bottom of my foot. Not a cool one like yours, though.” Not sure he wanted to know where the scar came from, Zoro waited to see if the boy would tell him or leave it at that. “It’s...a burn,” he said, his feet wiggling at their mention. “My brothers tried to put me in a fire, but my sister stopped them before I was all the way in. Only my foot got hurt.”

Zoro wanted to puke. There was a knot in his stomach the size of his fist, it felt so tight he could dry-heave. Even if this child was Sanji, he was still a child that didn’t deserve the abuse he was experiencing. Zoro’s eyes stung to his surprise as he could feel water falling from them, his tears sliding down his face to pool in the shell of his ears. His arms wrapped around Sanji to hold him tight. There was nothing in this world he could say that would make the boy feel better. The only thing he thought to do, as he wasn’t very good at this, was to hug him.

He’d only known Kid-Sanji for less than a day, but what he found out in such a short time was enough to last him a whole lifetime. It was too much. It made him sick. Zoro hated that Quillard man for exposing Sanji’s horrible childhood to him, to everyone. Adult-Sanji was so _normal_ and _strong_ despite all the bullshit he had dealt with at home.

And what made it worse? Zoro had thought it was bullies from the neighborhood, but Sanji had said it was his _family_ who did it. The bruising on his body had to be from them, too.

“Thanks for letting me sleep with you,” Sanji said with a small voice. Zoro had to reign his thoughts back in.

“Yeah. Sure,” Zoro said. “Prolly not too comfortable, though, all squished up in this box with me, huh?” He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Beats sleeping outside.”

“Why would we make you sleep outside, Curly?” Sanji went quiet and for a moment Zoro didn’t think he’d answer. But his body trembled against Zoro’s chest and his breathing became ragged. “Hey, hey, don’t cry. We aren’t gonna make you sleep outside,” Zoro didn’t know why Sanji thought such a thing.

“Sometimes sleeping outside is safer...because no one can find you,” he whispered and shoved his face back into Zoro’s shoulder to sob. His little arms snaked around Zoro’s neck and cried, his body shaking. The swordsman tried soothing Sanji’s whimpers by running his hands through his blonde hair and rubbing circles over his back over and over until the boy’s breathing slowed and sleep finally overtook him.

Zoro promised himself right then and there - if he ever met Sanji’s family, no matter how many fucking years have passed, he’d kill them all.

___

The sun shined through the portholes letting everyone know morning had come. Franky’s _whirring_ filled the room again and Usopp was gone to take watch over the bandits in the other room. At some point during the night, Brook had finally come to bed, too.

Zoro’s chest felt like a rock was sitting atop it. Slowly trying to move his body, he realized it was just impossible. Wrenching an eye open to see what the hell was so damn heavy, he was shocked to see both Sanji _and_ Luffy curled up with him! He remembered Sanji coming in here, the sudden wave of hatred for the boy’s family coming back to him, but he didn’t feel Luffy sneak in at all. That was very odd of Luffy to do, to be quiet enough he didn’t disrupt either of them in their sleep.

Pulling his arm out from under Luffy’s weight, Zoro tapped on the brunette’s head with his knuckles. “Oi, the hell you think you’re doin on me?”

As if he had already been awake, Luffy slowly turned his head upward to look into Zoro’s eye. “Heard you two crying. Wanted to make you feel better.”

Zoro couldn’t fault his captain for his decision to comfort the two of them. He was still surprised at himself for letting his emotions get the better of him, but sometimes men cried, even if Zoro did it only once a year or two. “I wasn’t cryin.”

Luffy smiled and lazily blinked. “Okay,” he said, pretending to believe his First Mate. Zoro liked that Luffy wouldn’t pry into certain things. Instead, his captain laid his head back down to face the blonde. Softly, Luffy ran the back of his hand down Sanji’s boyishly chubby cheek. “I was listening, you know. I cried, too.”

The three of them lay there in the morning sun, Sanji still asleep. Coming to terms with the idea of two idiots keeping him locked in bed, Zoro rested his hands over both their backs and gave a gentle squeeze before rolling his one good eye with a sigh. _Guess I’ll lay here a little while longer._


	3. Dead Pirates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Attempted child molestation.

It had been three full days since Quillard turned Sanji into a child, eleven more days to go. Kid-Sanji had warmed up to everyone, even Nami. Zoro had  _ maybe _ mentioned something to Usopp about her behavior knowing damn well he was a gossip and would tell Nami right away. Since then, Zoro felt everyone’s behavior around Sanji was back to normal, besides the obvious. 

The details of Sanji’s abuse weren’t heard by anyone but Zoro and Luffy, but the rest of the crew could only guess from the bruising and flinching. The dark marks on the boy’s body were already starting to turn brown, well on their way to fade away. Zoro noticed once Sanji had started to settle in, his cheeks had turned rosy, no longer completely colorless. It gave him the proper look of a seven-year-old boy. The dark circles under his eyes had begun to lift, too. 

_ What a difference a few days of decent care can make,  _ Zoro thought sitting next to him at the table for lunch. The swordsman still wasn’t entirely comfortable being touchy-feely in front of the others, so when Sanji leaned on him while waiting for food to be set down, Zoro grimaced his displeasure. For the past couple of nights, Zoro let Sanji sleep where he wanted, which was - you guessed it - with him in his bunk.  _ So what _ if Zoro cuddled him, giving into Sanji’s need for affection. 

The ship’s sharpshooter had made them a simple chicken soup to tide them over until dinner time. If you asked Zoro, it was more chickeny than anything, but at least that satisfied Luffy’s constant need for meat. Sanji would have balanced the amounts of protein to the veggies perfectly so no spoonful would have had too much of anything.

Sanji fished around in his bowl for the last noodle for a few tries before it stayed on his spoon long enough to reach his mouth. He swallowed it down and pushed his bowl away to get up from the table. Zoro looked down at him with a scowl.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I was going to put my bowl in the sink?” Sanji said with a questioning tone.

Leaning over and peering into his bowl, Zoro arched an eyebrow. “You didn’t drink your broth.”

Sanji wrinkled his nose up. “I don’t like it. I was going to dump it in the sink.”

The table went quiet. It was strange to hear Sanji talk about wasting food, even if that Sanji was a kid now. It’d only been three days since they had their normal cook and  _ that  _ Sanji would have never even  _ thought  _ of dumping the broth. If anything, he’d have saved it for another soup later in the week.

“I’ll drink it!” Luffy shouted and stretched his arm out to yoink the bowl up, but Zoro caught his wrist in his hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

“I don’t think so, Captain. Curly will finish it.” Zoro said sternly, his steely gaze glaring from Luffy then down to Sanji. “Won’t he?”

The boy crossed his arms in a pout and looked away. “I said I didn’t like it very much, so I don’t want it.”

“We don’t waste food on this ship,” Zoro growled through gritted teeth and pushed Sanji’s bowl closer to the edge of the table for him.

Franky, Usopp, and Chopper started eating again to avoid making the moment any more awkward than it already was. Nami could barely move her spoon another inch as she was still stunned hearing these words leave Sanji’s mouth. Brook and Robin had finished their helping and quietly watched to see how Zoro handled the boy, Robin paying extra attention to the swordsman’s behavior like the weirdo she was.

Sanji stuck his tongue out at Zoro and told him if he didn’t like something, he didn’t have to eat it, but Zoro didn’t like that answer at all. The man leaned in close to the boy’s ear and whispered something, making Sanji’s eyes widen in horror. “No!” he shouted. “That’s so mean!”

“Well, either that or you drink that broth, kid. Choice is yours.” Zoro said and resumed eating his dinner. He couldn’t help the curl forming at the corner of his mouth when he saw in his peripheral that Sanji complied.

“I wanted it,” Luffy said sadly. “You don’t make enough food, Usopp! I miss big Sanji!”

“Luffy!” Chopper squeaked. “What did I tell you!”

The captain slapped his hands over his lips and mumbled he was sorry. Sanji set his bowl down after the last drop had been drunk and looked to Luffy, then to the rest of the crew with a cocked head. “Big Sanji?”

Usopp wrapped his arm around the boy and patted his head with his other hand. “No need to worry, little guy! Luffy is just stupid. His brain is rubber, you know!”

_ “Hey!” _

The table burst into laughter and Sanji forgot all about the weird comment. Zoro had told the boy he was on dish duty for acting out because that type of behavior wouldn’t be tolerated. Sanji pouted and dragged his feet but did what he was told. Robin thought it most intriguing the way Zoro managed the situation.

The crew filed out to leave Zoro and Sanji to clean up, Zoro  _ insisting _ Brook not help because Sanji was being punished. Robin stayed behind, though, never moving from her seat at the table. Sanji had cleared her bowl and spoon away with a bright smile but immediately turned around to scowl at Zoro - a familiar interaction.

The swordsman knew Robin was being her creepy-self by remaining behind. He could feel her intense gaze boring a hole into his back. It was so strong he felt like he might buckle under it, but like hell he was giving in to her! Zoro stayed at the sink helping Sanji wash and dry the dishes, then wipe the counter. 

A chair had been pulled over for Sanji to stand on while at the sink. After all was taken care of, he was told to wipe the counters. Zoro grabbed Sanji by his small waist and lifted him to reach the surface, then zoomed him along so the rag slid down the counter in one swift motion. Sanji laughed and giggled even though it was supposed to be punishing, but Zoro didn’t mind.

Unable to avoid her any longer, Zoro kicked Sanji out of the galley and sat at the table. “What do you want, Robin.”

“Did you have any siblings growing up?” She asked inquisitively. “This seems to be easy for you.”

Zoro winced. “No siblings. Orphan,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head. He wasn’t sure if he had mentioned that ever to the crew. At least Robin wasn’t a gossip. “And it ain't easy. It’s hard to separate the way I treat him now from the way I normally do.”

“You’re doing such a wonderful job, Swordsman-san,” she said and placed her chin into her hand with her elbow propped onto the table, a soft smile warming her dark features.

“Uh...yeah...I’m only doing this because I owe it to’em for getting him into this mess. Otherwise, he could kiss my ass.”

The woman chuckled. “Of course, of course.” With a sigh, she asked, “Please answer me this, though, as I’m ever so curious; what did you tell the little chef to obey you so quickly?”

Blush dusted across Zoro’s cheeks making him look away to hide his obvious embarrassment. “I - I just -” Ah, what the hell was the use of lying to Robin anyway, she already knew everything. Deflating as he gave in, Zoro said, “Told’em he’d have to sleep alone from now on if he didn’t finish his food.”

“Oh?” She said with a wry smile.

“Shut up.”

___

The bandit pirates were getting restless being cooped up into the Aquarium, even after such a short time. When Franky brought them their chicken soup (they better drink that broth!), Quillard asked if they were allowed to get some sun today. The cyborg said it wasn’t up to him, knowing damn well Zoro and Luffy were in charge of these men.

“Yow! And that roly-poly man asked to come outside!” Franky said, explaining their distress to his captain who laid over the lion’s head. Zoro sat directly below him against the wood where he could easily save Luffy if he fell into the seawater below.

Before Luffy could answer, Zoro growled. “I don’t like’em.” Luffy giggled.

“Me neither, bro, but sometimes ya just gotta stretch! Ain't that right, Captain! OW, OW!” Franky shouted and struck a pose. “That was SUUUUPER funny!”

Luffy clapped his sandals together as he spurted out his dorky laugh. “Good one, Franky!”

“I don’t trust’em,” Zoro said again. Other than the obvious of them being pirates and all, he still didn’t like the men. They made too many sleazy comments when it was Robin’s turn to watch them. Luffy wouldn’t even  _ let  _ Nami take a shift because she didn’t have a Devil Fruit and her Climatact might wreck the glass of the Aquarium. “But if Captain allows it, I will bite my tongue.”

Sliding off the head and into Zoro’s lap, Luffy rolled away until he was at Franky’s feet. “Hmm. I dunno what to do. Franky says yes and Zoro says no. Hmmmmmmmm.”

Walking up the stairs to approach the three, Brook softly voiced his opinion. “We are all very strong, Zoro-san. We will protect each other if anything goes wrong,” he said with a bow. “I swear my life on it. At least, what’s left of it, yohohohoho!”

Huffing, Zoro rolled his eye. “Do what ya want, Captain. I respect your decisions.”

“Okay! Let’em out! And if they start any trouble, I’ll kick their ass!”

The cyborg told the other pirates they were allowed on the deck. Most of them ran to see the sun as fast as possible and jumped out into the open air, finally feeling the warm sunshine on their skin for the first time in days. 

To ease his mind, Zoro thought it would be best to put them all to work. This way he knew exactly what they were doing and it would also make Nami happy. At this news, they slumped forward and groaned. Though the bitching didn't last long as Zoro unsheathed Wado and spun her around in his hand. "Unless someone wants to entertain me with a fight?" A devilish grin broke out across his face as he looked at the small crowd seeing there weren't any volunteers. "Just as I thought. So grab a mop and get to work. You can stop once dinner is served." 

Giving the Sunny a deep clean was a much better pastime than sparing with the Pirate Hunter and his three swords. The men were out on the top deck on their hands and knees scrubbing the wood while Zoro paced back and forth, checking their work. Once he felt they got the picture that he wouldn’t let them slack off, he began his first set of a thousand pushups.

The harsh sun beating down on everyone made cleaning a bit more unenjoyable than it already was. Their cleaning became sluggish the higher the sun climbed into the sky. Chopper passed out glasses of water to help keep everyone hydrated. They thanked the little blue-nosed reindeer and got back to work.

On his nine-hundred and eighty-fourth push up, little Sanji approached Zoro. “Are the bad guys taking a break now?” he asked.

Zoro stopped mid-push up and looked over. “Does it look like it?” He snapped, nodding his head over to the men who were now cleaning the railings and stairs. 

Sanji shook his head. “Not those ones, the other ones.”

Continuing his workout, determined to get to one thousand, Zoro grunted, “What other ones, kid?” Pushing himself up and down as he searched around the deck to see if he could count the men.  _ Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen...shit, he’s right. Three missing.  _ Before Sanji could answer, Zoro sighed as he got to his feet and wiped his hands on his pants. “Where are they?” Shyly, Sanji pointed at the Aquarium Room door. “They begged us to come out but now they’re back in that damn room, huh?”

The swordsman made his way over and entered the room after grabbing his swords, catching three of the bandits sitting on the floor playing cards. The moment the door opened, they looked up to see who it was and gasped, scooting backward to increase the distance between them and the notorious Pirate Hunter. “We - we were just taking a rest! Just five minutes!”

Zoro jutted his hip to the side and planted a hand on it. The other hand grabbed his chin and rubbed as if he were deep in thought. “Didn’t know breaks were allowed.”

“We only just sat down, honestly! We’ve hardly even stopped working!” one of the pirates said trying to convince Zoro.

“Liar!” Sanji shouted from around Zoro’s leg, gripping his pants. “I said you should be cleaning and you shoved me away twenty minutes ago!”

_ “Shoved?”  _ Zoro snapped. He pried Sanji from him and walked into the room to tower over the three pirates. “Didn’t I say if you fucked up,  _ I’d slice you in half? _ ” 

The First Mate touched the hilt of Wado Ichimonji and flicked his thumb, pushing her out of her sheath a few inches. As Zoro wickedly smiled down on them, Chopper trotted in to save the day. “Zoro! No! What are you doing!”

Smile fading and eyebrows turned up in worry, Zoro looked down at his furry  _ nakama.  _ “I wasn’t gonna kill’em! Just scare’em a bit!”

“We do not scare the guests!” Chopper squeaked, waving his hands around. He went on and on about taking care of the body and sometimes you need to take a break, it’s really hot out, they could have had heat stroke, maybe their backs hurt, whatever, over and over until Zoro squatted down and placed his big hands on Chopper’s tiny shoulders and said he was sorry. Chopper ceased his lecture but then turned to the lazy pirates as he morphed into his Heavy Point. “And get back to work!” he roared, freaking the men out making them run in horror back out on the open deck.

Sanji fell onto his butt in shock as he looked up at what was once a small reindeer that was now an eight-foot-tall... _ whatever the hell that was!  _ “So...cool…” he whispered.

Chopper  _ popped  _ back into his regular form and did a small dance. “That - that’s doesn’t make me happy at all,  _ bakadayo!”  _ he said with a wide smile and squinty eyes.

The blonde raised a spiral eyebrow at Zoro, making the other laugh. Zoro held out a hand for Sanji to help him up. “He don’t take compliments well.”

___

By the time dinner was done, the ‘guest’ pirates were exhausted! But, the Thousand Sunny was spotless. Her grass was trimmed perfectly, the wood was all shined up, the ropes tightened, and her sails washed. Nami was a very happy Navigator when she inspected their work. As she walked around checking it over, they fawned over her, one even bold enough to grab at her, which she returned with a lightning bolt to his skull.

Franky helped bring out the food that Usopp and Brook spent hours making. Both could cook just fine, but neither were anything near as fast at working as Adult-Sanji was. When it came to meal-prepping and serving large groups of people, there was no one better than Sunny’s personal chef. It was as if he had superpowers! Usopp was exhausted trying to keep up with over twenty bellies to fill!

The bandits were moving to file away back into their so-called dungeon room when Zoro stopped them. “Where ya goin?” he asked.

Quillard turned to face him with hesitance. The man had pointed his swords at him enough times that seeing his face alone had him trembling. “Aquarium?”

Zoro gave a lopsided smile and beckoned with his hand, “You can eat with us,” he said and pointed over to where the rest of his crew sat in the grass smiling and waving for them to join. “Ya worked hard today. Thanks fer helping with Sunny.”

Some of the men that weren’t as afraid of Zoro shoved past Quillard and headed over to the others. Quillard gave a weak smile before following the rest of his friends. 

Robin used her Devil Fruit to pass cups filled with booze, cola, and juice around and offered second helpings to people who had already finished their plate, minus Luffy. Brook was sure to sit down in between some of the other pirates to strike up a conversation, interested in stories anyone had to tell. Usopp quickly ate and then fell back to take a quick nap, having been cooking all day had sapped his energy.

Zoro located Sanji to make sure he was okay and had a plate in his hand. Seeing him between Nami and Robin laughing made Zoro smile to himself.  _ He loves those two even as a kid, huh? _ Leaning against a railing, he scanned the crowd to count bodies, which were all present. Only then did he walk over and plop down next to his captain, Robin already placing a plate of food in his hands with her power before he could even cross his legs. The swordsman nodded his thanks.

Dinner was loud. Usopp had barbequed a sea-king Luffy had punched earlier last week, Adult-Sanji had chopped it up and put it in the icebox. Everyone loved the meat and was glad that there was plenty to go around. Mugs full of booze were lifted into the air in a cheer, Franky and Brook pulled out their instruments, and Luffy and Chopper had started doing weird dances - Luffy occasionally snatching more chunks of meat to munch on.

When it seemed that everyone had gotten their fill, again - minus Luffy - Zoro and Robin gathered up the plates, utensils, and other trash that had accumulated, bringing them to the kitchen to finish cleaning up. 

Robin began to fill the sink with water, but Zoro had put his hand to her arm and lightly pushed. “Go on, I’ve got this,” he said about the dishes. 

“Oh, but it’s no problem at -” 

“Go,” Zoro said, cutting her off. “Need someone to look after that damn cook. Also need some peace. Don’t like those bastards out there very much.”

Slowly nodding her agreement, Robin began to make her way out of the kitchen. “They are quite repulsive, aren’t they?”

“Can’t believe we let them live, especially with the way they speak to you two girls. Fucking disgusting.” Zoro spat and began to roll up his coat sleeves. He plugged the sink up and added dish soap, stirring it around with his hand. He hated being nice to them but Chopper had given him an earful when he threatened them.

Robin giggled. “They will be gone soon. Our dearest Navigator says tomorrow we should be coming up on the next island.”

Zoro visibly sagged with relief. “Good. I don’t trust them.” With the sink now full and ready, he started washing the plates and talked over his shoulder. “Seriously, get out of here. Watch that kid and don’t let those bastards talk to you. I’ll be out when I’m done.”

Robin took her leave doing as she was told. Throughout his cleaning, Zoro found himself leaning over to look through the porthole that faced the lawn. Even though Sanji was safely tucked into Robin’s lap laughing and clapping along with the music, he still couldn’t help himself to check every few minutes - just in case.

There were way more dishes than Zoro had thought, forgetting there were seventeen extra people to clean up after. He really did mean for Robin to leave, he didn’t want her help, but damn would it have gone by faster with her power. Doing it all on his own had helped his mood, though. His initial annoyance of their rowdy behavior earlier had died down and turned into an itch for a few glasses of whiskey or sake or beer or  _ literally anything containing alcohol. _

The green-haired man put the last dish away with excitement as he was that much closer to booze-time. He looked around to make sure everything was spotless just as the Adult-Sanji would have had it. Seeing as it was all in order, he left with a trot, eager to catch up on his drinking.

___

Usopp stood by the fire, now completely rested after his power nap, and told his humongous lies that left the guest pirates in awe. Even Luffy, who knew Usopp never had time to do any of the things he claimed to do, was sucked into his stories. Sanji sat atop of Luffy’s shoulders with a slack jaw, surprise Usopp was capable of such amazing accomplishments. The stories rattled on until Brook loudly plucked on his violin to announce he was going to play a song.

Zoro found a bottle of whiskey and had it halfway gone by the time he ducked under Luffy’s arm as the rubber boy swayed side to side singing out of tune to Bink’s Sake and pulled on Sanji’s legs with the beat. Zoro tipped the bottle back to steal a glance up at the blonde. His chest tightened when he saw how utterly  _ happy _ he was.  _ This feels right. He deserves this. _

The Sunny was lively for hours as the music and storytelling never stopped. The Straw Hat Pirates were natural entertainers! The booze flowed freely throughout the men and smiles were worn everywhere. Even Zoro was enjoying himself.

It was getting late though and as much as he loves drinking until the last drop is gone, he had to keep a clear head to watch over the kid. His last drink was an hour ago and there was nothing else keeping him awake, so he leaned back and rested his eyes for a few minutes. Sleeping when there was a party around came fairly easy for him. Imagine if he let something as silly as  _ noise  _ keep him from sleeping?! With Luffy’s constant cloud of chaos, Nami’s yelling, and Usopp and Franky’s explosions, he’d never get sleep if he let anything but silence keep him awake. 

A few minutes of shut-eye was all he needed. With a belly still full from dinner mixed with tall glasses of booze, his eyelid became heavier than he could manage. He was asleep in no time.

___

Quillard’s loud laughter had jolted Zoro awake. His Haki pulled him out of sleep telling him something was wrong. As the roar of laughter from the foreign pirates filled the night’s air, Zoro looked around seeing his  _ nakama _ still enjoying themselves.

The flames of the fire reached high into the sky still so Zoro couldn’t have dozed off for too long. His face and bare chest were toasty warm making him ease back into sleep. The moment his eye fully closed, that strange sensation pulled him awake again. His Haki was trying to tell him something. Curious why he felt wrong when all seemed well enough, Zoro scanned over everyone again.  _ All wearing smiles, so what’s this feeling? _

Zoro turned to his nearest crewmate, it was the witch. “Oi,” he said and flicked his head towards her. Surprised Zoro was awake so early (as he always spends the better half of parties passed out), Nami turned to fully face Zoro, leaning in to hear him better. “Where’s the kid?”

Nami sat up and looked around for a moment to look for the little blonde. “Oh, right, he said he was going to use the bathroom.”

Nodding his thanks, Zoro returned his gaze to the rest of the party. Usopp was sitting with his back to him pointing at a book and waving his hands around at Franky, who was pointing at Brook, who was sipping tea with Robin.

Chopper was crying tears of joy as he laughed at Luffy’s huge belly, his body swollen five times his normal size, while Nami had turned her attention back to them and was yelling at the rubber idiot for getting back into the food.  _ So that’s everyone, counting Sanji in the bathroom. _

Now looking over the other pirates, Zoro started to feel that tingly, hair-raising sensation again. Something felt wrong and he couldn’t quite place it. Instinctively, Zoro’s right hand felt at his hip, but his swords were safely hooked through his sash and tucked behind him just as they were earlier. Absentmindedly fingering over the cloth hilt of Wado, he racked his brain to think of what his Haki was trying to tell him.

_ Sanji has been gone for long enough,  _ Zoro thought. Then something hit him as if it were painfully obvious - he immediately started counting pirates.

_ Four, five, six… _

Laughter broke out as someone had told another atrocious joke.

_ Seven, eight, nine…ten…eleven…twelve... _

Zoro craned his neck to see around Quillard’s huge, fat form.

_ Thirteen and…fourteen. That’s all I see. _

In a blink, Zoro was standing and making his way up to the ship’s bathroom.  _ Something isn’t right,  _ Zoro repeatedly thought. The cool night air stung his eye as he jumped up the ropes to reach the top faster. The commotion below was too busy to notice Zoro’s sudden movement. A hand over the doorknob ready to turn it open, Zoro heard Sanji’s muffled voice.

“Let go of me!”

Then another, much deeper voice replied, “Keep him still!” Zoro’s heart slammed against his ribcage, stuttering with cold fear.  _ Those two voices don’t belong together.  _ “Shouldn’t have snitched on us earlier, you little shit,” the voice growled. 

Zoro tried the handle but it was locked. In one swift motion, his boot kicked the door hard enough it came off its hinges and flew to the floor. For the second time that day, Zoro caught those same three pirates doing something they really should not be doing.

His eye darted from one thing to another too fast to completely register what was going on, because what he was seeing was  _ absolutely impossible. _ Chest caught in a knot, he forced himself to breathe again. From the core of his being, Zoro’s blood began to boil.

Two of the pirates had been working together to pull Sanji’s pants down to his knees. The one on the left was holding his legs, which the boy kicked out with all his strength to no avail, while the one on the right yanked at the jeans. The third pirate held Sanji up by his middle and pawed at his naked torso, his shirt ripped and discarded on the floor below. Those dirty, grubby hands felt around while the man wickedly laughed in his ear, giving it a grotesque lick.

All three stopped in their tracks when the door had been kicked down. The moment Zoro’s brain caught up with what his eye was seeing, he jolted forward in an instant and swung Kitetsu across their backs, cleanly bisecting them. A fan of blood sprayed across the room.

Sanji’s eyes were big and glassy, his cheeks stained with red splatter. With a trembling lip, he looked at Zoro, silently pleading for help.

The man holding Sanji readjusted his grip on him while he pulled a knife from his pocket. “Don’t!” He shouted. His hand shook as he pointed the knife to Sanji’s throat. “Don’t or I’ll kill him!” He backed up and hit the wall. The man felt like a trapped rat as a ferocious tiger approached. “I’ll fucking kill him!”

The Pirate Hunter curled his lip back as he threw Kitetsu like a spear into the man’s forehead, it piercing straight through his skull and pinning him to the wall. The sword was thrown with such force, the hilt had caved his forehead in. His body fell slack, dropping Sanji. 

Prying Kitetsu out of the man, Zoro gave Sanji one good look to make sure he was okay and was then gone from the bathroom as quickly as he had come.

___

Down by the fire, all was fun still. No one was the wiser of the happenings above them. At least, not until Zoro jumped from the bathroom’s deck and zipped through the rest of the foreign pirates. He’d spent his childhood training to master _Santoryu,_ the three golden earrings that chimed next to his ear was proof he mastered it, but tonight, these bastards died by only one sword: Kitetsu, the blade that hungered for their treacherous souls. It’s bloodthirsty need to see them dead fueled Zoro as he slid it through their bodies, dropping them one after another.

One left. Zoro brought Kitestu high above his head to swing down with an impossible force, one that would have surely split Sunny in two if it weren’t for Luffy suddenly appearing before him. His captain’s skin was glowing pink as steamed raised above him. Luffy held Kitetsu in his fist. The katana vibrated against its hold as it drank the blood that oozed from Luffy’s palm. 

“Zoro,” his captain said calmly, staring into this eye. 

Zoro hadn’t realized he was screaming in a rage until hearing his name aloud brought him back from the madness. His throat burned and his lungs were tight as he gasped for a new breath. The silent air rang with his echoing cry.

“Zoro,” Luffy repeated.

Releasing the tension in his body, Zoro let the sword go slack in Luffy’s hold. When his captain released it, the steel hit the grass as Zoro loosely held it in his fists. Behind Luffy, Quillard was quietly sobbing having almost been cleaved in two.

“We need him, Zoro,” Luffy told him. The more he said his name, the more it grounded his First Mate, clearing his head.

Zoro looked into his captain’s eyes to tell him, “They deserved worse.”

With that, Zoro left and made his way back up to the bathroom to take care of his  _ nakama.  _

___

Skidding to his knees on the blood-soaked tile, Zoro embraced Sanji into his arms. He had been gone for less than sixty seconds, though it must have felt like days for the boy. Sanji’s body shook violently.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay. They’re gone.” Zoro cooed. He pulled Sanji away to look at him. “Did they hurt you?  _ Did they hurt you?” _ he asked, hoping the small child knew he meant something more, something worse. Zoro couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud, afraid that his carelessness ruined Sanji’s life.

Curly eyebrows furrowed together as Sanji flung himself forward and sobbed, barely managing to shake his head in Zoro’s shoulder.

“Shhh, Sanji, it’s okay. It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’m here,” Zoro ran his hand through golden hair unsure if it was more comforting for him or the boy. “This needs to be cleaned up before anyone sees. You need to be cleaned up. I need to be…” Zoro couldn’t let anyone see the connection. He couldn’t let their crew see the aftermath lest they figure out Sanji was almost  _ molested.  _ Imagine if they knew! They’d pity him for the rest of his life. He couldn’t let anyone know. It was bad enough  _ he  _ knew, the cook’s rival! No, no, he would clean this up and make sure no one knew the reason he had to kill those men.

The swordsman could hear his crewmates calling for him. Quickly, Zoro picked the door up and propped it against the frame, then dragged Nami’s makeup chair over to hold it in place. Zoro raced to the communal tub and turned both faucets on and dumped the soap in. “Get in and clean yourself up. I’ve gotta get rid of this.” Zoro gestured towards the enormous pools of blood that slowly snaked their way across the floor into the drain in the middle of the room. Sanji did as he was told, sniffling back snot that leaked down his face.

Once Sanji climbed in and waited for the water to rise, Zoro got to work. First, he unlatched the window that overlooked the sea and gathered the body parts, shoving them through. Various  _ splashing  _ noises from below confirmed they had made it into the water. With them gone, he rummaged through the supply closet and pulled out a bucket. He placed it under the sink and filled it, then tossed the water over the bathroom tiles to wash away the stains, repeating until the majority of the blood had drained.

To rid the remaining mess, he had to get the mop out and soak it all up, the whole time he grumbled under his breath that  _ they died too easy, they died too fast, shoulda took my time. _ His jaw hurt from grinding his teeth together.

Zoro looked over and the tub had filled up to Sanji’s shoulders. He walked over and turned the faucets off for him and crouched so he was eye-level with the boy. “Are you okay?” Sanji had been staring down at the water while Zoro worked. When he looked up, blood still covered his face and bangs. “Sanji?” Zoro asked again. The blonde slowly nodded. Zoro felt his heart wrench as he witnessed the horror behind those blue eyes. “Please say something,” Zoro begged and cupped Sanji’s face with both hands, thumbs lightly rubbing his cheeks.

“I was so scared,” Sanji finally said, lip beginning to tremble again. “I was so scared no one would come for me,” warm tears welled up in his eyes and spilled over. “You came, though.”

Softly scoffing, Zoro said, “of course I did.” One hand traced over the boy’s face and moved his bangs out of his eyes. “I’m sorry, Sanji, that I didn’t come sooner. I’m sorry I failed you.” While he spoke, Zoro scooped a handful of water to dump over Sanji’s head to wet his hair. “I should have been there sooner...I should have had your back…” he squeezed shampoo over his hair and began to massage his scalp, lathering up the soap to rid the blood away. “I’m sorry…” Zoro whispered.

While Zoro finished washing Sanji’s hair, he pulled the boy out and put him in Chopper’s fluffy towel. Kicking the chair and door aside, Zoro emerged from the bathroom with Sanji on his hip and headed to the boy’s bunk to get the pajamas he had been wearing the past few nights. On his way, Luffy intercepted him.

“Zoro,” Luffy said from under the brim of his hat. 

“Captain.”

Luffy curled a finger for his First Mate to follow him and together they entered the boy’s room. Luffy closed the door behind them and continued to hide his face. “What’s going on.”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Did they need to die?” Luffy asked, voice stern.

Zoro put a hand over Sanji’s small head and held him close to his chest, relieved his captain wasn’t looking. “They needed to die.”

“Okay,” he said, slightly more relaxed. “You should apologize to everyone. You scared them.”

“I will. I’ll be out in a minute.” 

Luffy nodded his understanding, then raised his head to look at Zoro. “We will be waiting,” and left.

“Is Luffy mad?” Sanji asked quietly after the door had  _ clicked  _ shut.

“A little, but not at you, okay? You’re fine. Everything is fine.” Zoro couldn’t stop running his hand over Sanji’s head trying to pet the worry away. Zoro’s chest felt like it was on fire, his legs trembled with weakness, his breathing ragged. Alone in the deafening silence of the room, he squeezed the boy close in an impossibly tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Sanji. I’m so sorry.” The two stayed like that for a while until Zoro finally let go and set the boy down so he could get into his pajamas.

Zoro picked Sanji up once he was changed and gave him one last hug before he set him in his bed. “Can you stay here by yourself while I finish up out there? I’ll come right back.” Ugh, the look on that kid’s face just about broke his damn heart. “I promise I won’t be long.”

“M’kay,” he said quietly and lay down. Zoro tugged his blanket up to his chin and gave his bangs one last swipe to the side so he could see two curly eyebrows.

___

When Zoro approached the rest of his  _ nakama,  _ they were less than impressed with him. He had stopped their celebration short with nothing but blood and unexplained violence. The bodies had been dumped overboard by the time he had come back out but the blood remained. He winced looking at it, it being a reminder of what had almost happened to Sanji.

“Hey,” Zoro said quietly, avoiding everyone’s gaze. He looked off into the dark ocean. “I’m sorry for acting without warning you. Thank you, Luffy, for stopping me when I lost control,” he sounded almost mechanical when he apologized, he had nothing in him for anyone else right now but Sanji. All his emotions were taken up and claimed for a little boy who needed him. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” 

Stepping forward, Nami crossed her arms. “That was  _ not  _ cool, Zoro.”

Gaining confidence now that someone else had spoken first, Usopp chimed in. “Yeah, Zoro, you went crazy! You left quite a mess.”

Robin giggled. “So much blood, Swordsman-san. You killed them all very fast.” A few recoiled from Robin’s strange ways of talking to people.

Luffy stayed back and waited for everyone to say what was on their mind before he spoke. “You almost killed Frilly. Then Sanji would have had to grow up all over again.”

It stung when Luffy reprimanded him. He couldn’t give two-shits about anyone else's opinion but his captain’s. He wasn’t there to impress anyone or have a best friend. He was there to help Luffy become The Pirate King, then he would become The World’s Greatest Swordsman. Anything less was irrelevant. Except maybe tiny Sanji. Zoro liked tiny Sanji.

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

“You could at least tell us why you went all psycho!” Nami said, throwing her hands up. Usopp joined in, saying it wasn’t fair.

Zoro couldn’t look at his crew. He was too afraid the turmoil inside him was showing on his face. “I can’t.”

“You can’t?! Why the hell not!” Nami screeched.

Usopp stepped forward. “Oi, Zoro, just open your mouth and speak. We were having a good time until you diced those men up, you know!”

He wouldn’t look up, he  _ couldn’t.  _ Zoro stared at the blood-stained grass while Nami and Usopp continued to berate him. Honestly, if this was all he would get in punishment from his crew, he was fine with that. Yelling at him, telling him he sucks for being so ruthless, blah blah, it didn’t matter. What  _ did  _ matter was protecting Sanji. He may forget about this ever happening when he goes back into his regular timeline of life, but when he’s big, the crew will still remember. It will be fresh in their minds. Years and years will have passed for Sanji, but for them, it would be less than two weeks. Zoro wouldn’t let them know about it, he didn’t want them to treat him differently. The image of that man licking up the side of Sanji’s face had him gagging.

“Nami, Usoppu,” Luffy started, interrupting the two. “It’s done. Those guys are dead and we can’t bring’em back. Zoro had to do it and I trust him. You should, too.”

___

The blood had been hard to get rid of. Even after pulling the hose out and saturating the main deck in water, the red still remained. It only seeped further into the grass and soaked into the dirt. It took a while, but with Franky’s help, the blood and smell was finally gone. Nami and Usopp didn’t feel like helping and Zoro didn’t care to make them, but everyone else put in the effort to make Sunny nice and clean again.

When the boys came into their room to crawl into bed, Sanji was fast asleep. Zoro kicked his boots off and threw his coat under his bunk before lifting Sanji into his arms and maneuvering himself into his bed.

“Zoro?” Sanji mumbled, sleep in his voice.

“Shh,” Zoro whispered into the boy’s hair. “M’right here. Go back to sleep.”

The boy smiled and nuzzled his face into Zoro’s neck for the fourth night in a row.


	4. Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHECK OUT THE ART BRITT (@Chow_bii) DID FOR THIS CHAPTER!!!!!! OMG how sweet and living and caring it isss omg!! 
> 
> [CHECK IT OUT on her Twitter here!](https://twitter.com/chow_bii/status/1349342887750758402?s=20)

Sometimes, sleeping was dangerous. The things your mind thought up could hardly be controlled. Dreams could be made of true events, lies and deceptions, or a mix of the two, but all three equally horrifying as your mind was trapped while the images projected onto the backs of your eyelids. Zoro had spent the majority of the night covered in a sheet of his own sweat as he watched greasy men over and over paw at Sanji, the whole time unable to help him, always out of reach. He continuously raced forward to cleave them in two, but his legs felt as if a million pounds were attached to each of them. He tried and tried to take a step forward, but the pressure held him still. Reaching out to grasp Sanji’s small, outstretched hand seemed hopeless as the boy seemed to be further away the more he strained.

Still dreaming of the haunting situation, Zoro’s Haki prodded at the back of his mind again, urging him something was wrong. The images of the bloodied bathroom flickered in and out as his Haki tried taking over to wake him. Suddenly, Zoro reached his arm out to grasp whatever it was that was hovering over him.

“Ah! Zoro!” Usopp squawked and attempted to pry Zoro’s fist from his neck. Both of his hands clawed at his skin. “Let go!” he managed to say. 

As the nightmare faded and the reality settled in, Zoro opened his eyes to see Usopp struggling in his hold with bulging eyes while Sanji and Luffy slept on either side of him. “Hm?” he mumbled, still slightly confused. “What were you doin so close to me?”

_ “Pncksss,” _ Usopp choked.

“Huh?” he asked, and let his grip loosen. Usopp sucked in air to fill his lungs with a wheeze.

After pounding on his chest to make it move properly again, Usopp darted his eyes around the room while rubbing his throat as if more Zoro’s were going to jump out and strangle him. “I made pancakes. You know, for breakfast?”

“PANCAKES!!!!!!!” Luffy screamed, suddenly awake, and darted out of the room to the kitchen after launching off Zoro’s chest.

“Oh. Yeah…” Zoro said awkwardly, guiltily. “Sorry. Don’t creep around me like that.” Usopp nodded his head and muttered under his breath that he was boarding with a psychopath, but the swordsman chose to ignore that part. Although, after last night, Zoro felt it important to emphasize his apology. Clasping Usopp’s elbow before he turned to leave, Zoro waited until the sharpshooter made eye contact with him. “Really, Usoppu. I’m sorry. I hope you’re not hurt.”

Seeing that Zoro had put real empathy behind his words and hearing the genuine sorry in his voice, Usopp waved him off. “It’s no biggie, man. Come eat before Luffy eats it all.”

“I’m on my way,” Zoro said and watched his crewmate take his leave. Once the door closed and the silence of the room began to be filled with ringing in his ears, Zoro craned his neck to look down at the sleeping boy, his left arm and leg stretched across Zoro’s middle. Remembering what Sanji had said a few nights ago about his scarring, Zoro grew curious.

Very rarely was Sanji shoeless, and it was even more rare to see the bottom of his feet. Zoro untucked his left arm from the boy and grabbed the foot over his front to feel the bottom.  _ Normal,  _ he thought. His fingers could feel the small grooves and creases that made Sanji’s foot unique. Digging around between his hip and the wooden box they laid in, Zoro fished Sanji’s right foot out enough to feel the bottom, hesitant this time. The skin was wavy and abnormally smooth from the burn Sanji told him about. Zoro’s jaw immediately clenched to grind his teeth together.  _ Does the Sanji we all know still have this scarring? _

___

The island they were promised had come into view a little after everyone had finished their breakfast. Though, with no extra pirates to drop off, there was no longer a reason to stop, at least technically speaking. It had been a week or so since the Straw Hats had seen dry land, so Nami and Luffy had thought hitting the island was still worth their while.

The Sunny was cautiously guided around the island until there was a secluded enough area where she could rest while the other members of the crew were gone. Franky was the last to jump off the railings, having to say his goodbyes to Sunny. His bare feet mushed into the hot sand of the beach making him grimace.

Nami had gathered everyone under some shade before they parted ways to go over their buddy system, missions, and safety nets. “If anything goes sour, get back to Sunny immediately!” she began. “The faster we can get everyone back here the better chance we have of avoiding a huge mess.” Nami turned her glare to Luffy, who was currently being held by the collar of his vest so he didn’t dart before she could finish her speech. “The Post dropped off the paper this morning saying there is a festival going on, so be wary of purse-snatchers, small-time thieves, and con artists.” Usopp coughed at the irony.

“Don’t let the festivities distract you too much if you have any supplies you need to restock. Since San - uh, since we don’t have our usual person who inventories our kitchen, Usopp and I will be in charge of that part. Sanji-kun can come with us.”

Zoro’s attention had been grabbed. He didn’t expect anyone else to volunteer to take over Sanji-Watch. At this point, he just  _ assumed  _ he was the unofficial caregiver seeing as how the boy had become so attached to him. When he looked down at the blonde, Sanji was already staring up at him with a slightly worried look in his eyes as if he had the same thought as the swordsman. Zoro raked his fingers through his hair with a sigh and looked away while he spoke up. “I, uh, I don’t mind watchin’em. I ain't got anything to do…”

“It’s fine, Zoro, I’m sure you’ve been dying for a break from him,” Nami said nonchalantly with a wave of her free hand. The other tightened its grip on Luffy’s vest and raised it to gesture to the Captain. “You’re on Luffy Duty, though. Robin, Brook, and Franky, you’re on Quillard Duty. He can’t be trusted to stay on the ship alone and I don’t think sending him off with Zoro is...you know…” she trailed off after the sudden awkwardness of her comment. “No offense,” Nami apologized with a sad smile.

Ignoring the last part, Zoro went to speak up to voice his protest about who Sanji went with, but was cut off by Nami speaking again. The uncomfortable feeling Zoro was experiencing had gone unnoticed by the navigator, but Robin is an observant woman. Once Nami finished her speech, she let Luffy go, who had raced towards the city without waiting for Zoro and began making her way towards Sanji.

“I believe we should ask little Cook-san who he wants to spend his time with,” Robin said, stunning Nami in her tracks.

The redhead looked from Sanji to Robin and then back to Sanji. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind hanging with us, Robin! Right, Sanji-kun?” Her eyes were full of hope that she wasn’t wrong, but Sanji didn’t seem excited about the news.

“Uhm…” Sanji tried, twisting his foot in the sand while playing with the hem of Chopper’s shirt he borrowed. “I wanna -”

“See! He doesn’t mind!” Nami interrupted and reached for his hand.

Knowing the boy wasn’t done speaking, Zoro frowned. He knew Sanji was trying to say he wanted to stay with Zoro, and as an adult, he should say the words he can’t. But after last night, Zoro found it hard to say much to any of his crew, the guilt of not telling them about what happened made him feel shitty. Apparently he cared about what they thought more than he let on. So instead of stopping Nami right there, Zoro let her drag Sanji away.

“You didn’t let him finish,” Robin said as she approached the two and knelt to Sanji’s level. “Little Cook-san,” she started, running her fingers through his hair. “Who would you like to spend your day with? There is a festival in town, you know. Who would be the most fun?”

The little blonde looked up to meet Robin’s kind blue eyes to search for a trap. Surely he wasn’t able to choose, right? Although the time he spent so far with The Straw Hats has been really easy, they always gave him what he wanted and treated him with kindness. Knowing exactly who he wanted to spend his day with, he began to say the name but then felt saddened knowing he might hurt Nami’s feelings.

Turning to look up at the woman who still held his hand, he tried saying something,  _ anything,  _ but he just couldn’t. He didn’t have to, though, because Nami knew from the pained look on his face. She sighed and let his hand go. “It’s fine, Sanji-kun. Go with Zoro.”

As Sanji joyously ran over to Zoro and hugged his legs, the swordsman tried to apologize. “I really don’t mind watching Sanji,”

Everyone sort of stood stone-still after hearing Zoro say that. Usopp spoke first.  _ “Sanji?”  _ He asked, perplexed. Zoro cocked his head in confusion.

“Zoro?” Nami asked. “You okay?”

“Huh?”

Chopper asked if Zoro was okay and Brook and Franky mimicked Zoro by also cocking their head sideways.

“What? I feel fine, what is going on?” Zoro asked.

“You called Sanji by his name,” Usopp said, pointing down at the boy.

Realizing his words, Zoro blushed. “I - I didn’t! It - it ain't a big deal!” He could feel his face burning as Nami, Usopp, and Robin all smiled at him with their devilish grins. “It’s just a name!” he shouted again before yanking Sanji’s little hand into his and stomping off into the woods.

“Other way,” they all said in unison, pointing to the big path to the right clearly leading to the city.

___

As the two of them silently walked up the path, Zoro noticed Sanji not able to keep up with him despite the pace he set to accommodate for Sanji’s short stride. Casually glancing down, he saw the boy wince a little every other step.

_ He doesn’t have any fucking shoes!  _ Zoro thought. He felt like the worst babysitter ever. In one swift motion, Zoro scooped Sanji up and put him atop his shoulders. The rest of the way there, Zoro cursed himself for not realizing he didn’t have protection for his feet sooner, but seeing as how Chopper didn’t wear shoes it never came up.  _ The sand was so hot! Even Franky was squirming in his place as the Witch babbled on. The kid didn’t say a single thing that whole time! _

Absentmindedly, Zoro rubbed the bottoms of Sanji’s tiny feet with his thumbs while holding them. The city came into view in no time...maybe with Sanji telling Zoro to stay on the path once or twice.

Even as they approached the far outskirts of the city, there were hoards of people bustling about crowding the streets. Kids ran between adults trying to hide from each other, stray dogs stole food from unsupervised tables, and hundreds upon hundreds of people laughed and shouted and enjoyed themselves during the start of the festival.

Looking around, Zoro realized he had no idea what type of store would sell children’s shoes, so instead of wandering for hours like he normally would, he decided to be the bigger man and ask someone, despite how much he hated asking people for directions.

“Hey, I gotta question,” Zoro asked the first man he saw wearing shoes (all of them).

“I don’t have any money!” he yelped and sped off in the opposite direction.

That took the swordsman by surprise. “The hell?” he asked aloud. He had no intention of asking for money, so it was strange the man said that. Asking another person with shoes on (literally anyone around), he tried again. “Excuse me, could you point me in the-”

“Leave us be!” The woman screamed while clutching to her husband.

Sanji bonked Zoro on the head and leaned to his right so Zoro could see him. “You’re scary looking, don’t you know?”

“Hah?” the green-haired man asked, stopping in the middle of the street making the crowd part and forcing them to go around.

“Have you seen what you look like? People aren’t used to men like you coming up to them and being nice. They’re probably used to them robbing or hurting them!”

“Hah??? I wouldn’t do that, though. And what’s wrong with what I look like, huh?”

Sanji laughed. His little fists tightened in Zoro’s hair as he almost fell backward. “You don’t think you’re scary looking?”

Zoro thought about it for a moment before answering. “Maybe when I frown, yeah, I guess.”

“You’re always frowning, Zoro.” Sanji laughed more, but then leaned forward to rest his chest against the back of the other’s head, then gently covered Zoro’s left eye with his hand. “What about this scar?”

“What about it?” Zoro asked, cupping his large hand over Sanji’s. “It’s just a scar.”

“It’s scary for other people! Watch. When I take my hand away, people will see your scar again. They will be scared.”

So Sanji did remove his hand. Slowly, just as the boy said, when people walked passed and glanced towards Zoro and met where his eye was supposed to be, they quickly ducked their heads and veered their path. Zoro scowled.

“Okay, so they’re just scared of my face?”

Zoro received another bonk on the head. “No, dummy! Your coat is wide open and that shows the big scar on your chest! Plus, there are three humongous swords on your side!”

Sighing, Zoro rubbed his head where the kid hit him twice now. “Fine, I get it, I get it,” he said and tugged the sides of his coat to cover his front, then reached up for Sanji’s hand and placed it over his eye again. “Keep your hand here and maybe people will think I like you.”

“You do like me! Don’t pretend!” Sanji said through a laugh and squeezed his hand over Zoro’s face. “Okay, try again. Smile this time, too.”

Walking a few paces deeper into the crowd, Zoro turned and asked a group of young men wearing shoes. “Hello, could one of you please help me and this brat?” Zoro asked as nicely as he could while hiking a thumb up at the blonde on his shoulders.

“Get away, you creep!” They said in unison and darted away, one stomping on Zoro’s boot beforehand.

“Hey!” Sanji said and bonked Zoro over the head for the third time. “You can’t call me a mean name like that. You’re a stranger to them so they don’t know you’re joking.”

“Oh, I’m joking, huh?” Zoro grumbled while rubbing his head.

Ignoring that last comment, Sanji rested his chin over the top of the mop of green hair while he thought. “Hmmm…” Continuing walking, Zoro waited to see what Sanji was thinking. “How about you call me your little brother?” Sanji asked, squeezing his thighs and arms around Zoro’s head. Even without seeing the boy’s face, Zoro knew his smile had to of been a mile wide.

Sometimes it was hard to remember that this bright and cheerful kid was Sanji, his rival. The guy he, no less than a week ago, was butting heads with. His swords would arc down inches from his face only to be stopped by his foot, his leg somehow managing to get between the steel and his lean body. Zoro groaned. The thought of denying Kid-Sanji something so small seemed stupid. Clearly, he has a shit home life.  _ He prolly won’t remember any of this, right? It won’t hurt to make him a little happy… _

“Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Zoro said. Sanji yipped with glee and hugged Zoro’s head again with all four limbs. “Except ya gotta stop doin that!” Zoro yelled and clawed to free his face.

Once again, the two tried to grab someone’s attention. “Hello,  _ sir.”  _ Zoro started sarcastically, but Sanji pulled on Zoro’s hair at the back of his head to make sure he didn’t mess this up. “Could you please help me and...and my little... _ brother?”  _ he finally said, almost gagging as the words left his mouth.

The older gentleman he stopped looked Zoro up and down, glancing at the swords at his hip. For a moment, the man looked like he didn’t want any trouble, but when he looked back up and saw Sanji’s sweet, innocent little face peering over the top of Zoro’s head, he smiled. “O’course I can help! What did you fellers need?”

Zoro could have died of shock.  _ How did that work!  _ Shaking his head, he cleared his throat. “I’m looking for a store to buy shoes fer kids,” Zoro said, and grabbed Sanji’s shoeless feet. Even if the boy didn’t know he did it, Zoro felt the small hand over his eye tighten and a barely audible gasp escape Sanji’s mouth.  _ Right, I didn’t tell him what I was doing.  _ Zoro smiled and knew exactly what to say that would be the icing on the cake to make Sanji even happier. “You know, for my little brother here.”

The man softly smiled, one that reached his eyes, and said he’d be more than happy to help them find a store. Instead of pointing in a direction, the man brought them directly to the doorstep of a store called Walk A Mile, then waved goodbye and went on his way.

Once the man was out of sight, Zoro loosened his jacket back to its original aloof look and gently guided Sanji’s hand away from his scar. 

“You want to look scary going in there?” Sanji asked, leaning over to the right side to see into Zoro’s eye. 

“If there’s one thing I learned from the Witch, it’s to never buy anything at full price. We’re gonna test just how scary I look.”

___

So Sanji had new shoes and was able to walk next to Zoro again. He found it easier to grab ahold of Zoro’s pointer finger instead of his whole hand being crushed by the idiot’s brute strength. Zoro groaned because it was too cute, but honestly, what did it matter. The kid wouldn’t remember a damn thing and then in less than two weeks the two of them can go back to bickering and fighting like nothing ever happened.

As they walked around, they occasionally stopped at different areas set up for a show. The first one they watched was made up of very detailed wooden puppets. Even Zoro was a little impressed with how intricate they were. The show was much more extravagant than he expected. It lasted a little over a half over and when it was done, Sanji seemed so in awe.

The second entertainment they found was of people putting on a play. This particular show was packed, the people who couldn’t fit on the grass were spilling out into the street. Sanji had said it must be interesting so they made their way through the crowd for a better view. Zoro had put Sanji on his shoulders again, which the blonde loved, and together they watched as many knights fought to bring down a huge red dragon. Again, when the show had ended, Sanji was left in pure awe, but Zoro had been distracted most of the time through the play as Sanji kept playing with his earrings.

Zoro set Sanji down and they continued. “Y’seem to really like those performances, don’tcha?”

“Yes! They were amazing! How do you think they did that with the fire?! When the dragon blew it out, I swear I could feel the heat!”

Chuckling, Zoro said, “That’s cause it was real.”

“Whaaaaattt!!!!!! Oh my gosh, that is SO COOL!” Sanji squealed and jumped into the air with a fist punching the sky. “I can’t believe they had real fire so close to all those people…”

Zoro nodded along as Sanji rambled on and on about the stuff they had just seen. He zoned in and out sometimes as most of the things Sanji was saying eventually repeated. The only thing he would constantly think about is Sanji’s safety and how hungry he was.

“Hey,” Zoro interrupted, stopping in the middle of the street and bending down so the boy could hear him. A few people bumped into him and grumbled as they walked around. “You want something to eat?”

“Yes, please!” The kid squeaked and tugged on Zoro’s finger. 

The swordsman stood up and looked around. It just so happened they were in the middle of a food court. There had to of been dozens of street food vendors, there was bound to be something that the both of them liked. “What do you like to eat? Obviously not chicken broth, huh?” Zoro mocked.

Sanji stuck his tongue out and made a raspberry noise. When he finished, he thought about the question, but his smile soon faded. “I like...I like…” he kept mumbling. 

“Oi, oi, it’s not that hard, just tell me what you like!” Zoro said impatiently. He looked around trying to spot anywhere selling rice or sushi for himself. When Zoro looked back down, Sanji was trembling. “Whoa, hey, you alright?” Zoro asked with worry lining his voice. He knelt and put his hands on Sanji’s small, shaking shoulders.

“Uhm, I’m fine to eat whatever,” the blonde said. He attempted a smile but it ended up only a weak, half-smile. 

Knowing whatever was causing Sanji to act like this had to somehow link to his shitty family, he took Sanji aside from the crowded streets and sat him on a bench. “Listen, I don’t care what anyone has told you before, but right now, you can get whatever food you want.”

Zoro watched Sanji silently nod before looking into Zoro’s eye. “I wish you were my real big brother…”

_ Fuck,  _ Zoro thought.  _ Why does his family hurt him?  _ Looking around, Zoro made sure no Straw Hats could see him extend his arms and bring Sanji into a tight hug. Picking him up, Zoro whispered into his golden hair, “Tell me what you want to eat, and you will have it.”

The boy squeezed around Zoro’s neck to tighten his hold and fought back tears as he said thank you. “I like pasta.”

“What kind?”

“Seafood.”

“Let’s get you some, then.”

___

The two Straw Hats sat on the ground together against a building as they ate their late lunch. Sanji had the biggest bowl of pasta they offered and Zoro found some  _ tenmusu.  _ As they ate, Zoro sighed.

“Don’t you like it,  _ Oniisan _ ?” Sanji asked as he slurped a baby octopus leg into his mouth.

Wincing at the new name Sanji had been calling him, Zoro shook his head. “Nah, it’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just...I’ve had better.”

“Better?”

Zoro ate the last bite and after swallowing, he looked down at Sanji. “Yeah, this is good food, but it ain't the best. Did you know we used to eat the best of the best food every single day on Sunny?”

Sanji’s eyes went big. “Really? Why don’t you anymore?” he asked, shoveling heaping piles of pasta into his mouth.

“We used to have this chef, you see. But he got sick and went away. So now we have to eat whatever Usoppu and Brook cook up.” Zoro twisted his napkin in his hand until it became nothing but a shredded mess. “We will get him back, though. He’ll come back. We miss him. I miss him.”

“I want to meet him!” Sanji exclaimed making the noodles almost tip out of his bowl. He waved his fork around as he talked about meeting a super great chef. Zoro didn’t have the heart to tell him he’d never be able to.

The last bit of sauce was licked clean and Sanji leaned back against the wall. “I’m so full!” he said, patting his protruding belly. Zoro smiled and grabbed his bowl and the rest of their trash to discard it in a bin.

When he came back, a man and a woman were talking to Sanji, pulling on his hand as they thought he was lost. Zoro ran over and snatched the boy up and immediately pointed Wado at them. “Back off,”

The surrounding people screamed from the sudden ringing of steel in the air. The crowd fanned out to expose the Straw Hats.

“Hey, what’s all the commotion for?!” a marine had said pushing her way past the onlookers. As she stumbled forward out of the crowd, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “Oh! Roronoa!”

“Heh?” Zoro said. His eye scanned over the people until he met a familiar face in a marine uniform. “Aw,  _ shit.”  _ He said as he recognized a woman who looked exactly like his childhood friend.

“Kidnapping?! How low could you get!” Tashigi said and pointed an accusing finger at Sanji.

“What? No! This ain't just some kid, this -”

“You lying pirate!”

“What! No, stop!” Zoro shouted, backing up as Tashigi came closer. He was so focused on the woman he didn’t realize his feet were beginning to disappear in a cloud of smoke. How easy it was to forget wherever Blue-Hair-With-Glasses-Girl was, Smoker was sure to follow.

“Finally, we’ve nabbed Roronoa Zoro.” Smoker’s gruff voice said behind him before he was smacked over the head hard enough to knock him out cold.

___

When Zoro came to, he kept his eye closed to assess his surroundings, remembering exactly what happened before he was unconscious. The surrounding temperature heavily dropped meaning he was either underground or on stone, or both. He was standing with his back against a wall and his arms tightly cuffed above his head.

_ In a cell, most likely,  _ Zoro rationalized. Taking a shallow breath, he took in the smell.  _ Wet, damp - definitely underground. Cigars - Smoker is near.  _ Listening, he didn’t hear anything at all except a low hum that he felt deep within his chest.  _ Engines of some sort? Wait... _ there was the faint sound of a cigar being inhaled. The crackling sound of paper and tobacco burning as it was sucked on.  _ Smoker is right outside the cell. _

Leaving his head hanging, Zoro pried his eye open. No restraints around his ankles. He could barely stop himself from smiling.  _ They underestimate me, don’t they? _

“I see you’re awake,” Smoker casually said, his voice lightly echoing down the cell halls inadvertently giving Zoro a better idea of the prison’s layout.

Zoro looked up and sure enough, there sat Smoker in a wooden chair leaning against the wall on the other side of the hall. All three swords lying on the ground next to him. Between them, only a single set of bars. “Where’s the kid?” was the first thing Zoro heard himself say. He had meant to tease Smoker’s carelessness but his mind was set on Sanji, apparently.

“Oh, the brat you stole? Tashigi is busy trying to find his parents.”

“Oi, oi, I didn’t steal’em. He belongs on my Captain’s ship.”

_ “Mugiwara _ has taken to kidnapping now, has he?” the marine said, lighting up a second cigar next to his first. “Didn’t think he was the type. No matter. Seeing you’re here means the rest of the Straw Hats are not far off. Won’t be long until they’re chained up next to you.” 

Looking to his left and right, Zoro saw more of the cuffs hanging on the wall. Some were made of sea prism stone, yet the ones around his wrists were plain steel.

“So the kid is in this building?”

“Yeah, he’s safe now,” Smoker answered by pointing upward, confirming there were more levels above. The marine watched as Zoro’s head fell and his shoulders shook. “The fuck you laughin at, Roronoa? Your ass is jailed.”

Not able to contain himself anymore, Zoro barked his laughter into the air, rattling the chains as his body jerked around. “Yer slippin, you know.”

“Hah? Coming from the Supernova who is behind bars with a Vice Admiral personally overseeing his imprisonment? No swords and both hands cuffed to a wall? Three layers below the surface? That something you call slipping?”

“You hear about any of Luffy’s improvements?” Zoro asked after Smoker gave him plenty of information on his situation.

“Of course, who hasn’t? He’s in the paper every other day. Who knew rubber could be used in such powerful ways,” he said, puffing on his cigars. Again, Zoro couldn’t help but laugh out loud. His stomach hurt from laughing so much, his cheeks were sore from the mile-wide smile that couldn’t go away. “I don’t see how this is funny.”

“Have you heard about any of  _ my  _ improvements?” Zoro said through a feral grin.

“Not really…” Smoker said slowly as he looked into Zoro’s eye. Realizing what the other was hinting at, Smoker leaned forward in his chair bringing all four feet to the stone below. “What are you implying, Roronoa.”

“I’m implying you should have used sea stone,” Zoro said and ignited his wrists in Armament Haki and burst the steel that restrained him making pieces of metal fly across the room. Smoker didn’t flinch.

The marine leaned back in his chair, propping his arms behind his head. “And the bars? They’re much thicker, you know.  _ Busoshoku Haki  _ will only get you so far. Even  _ I _ might have a hard time breaking those bars.”

“Oh, I ain't gonna break’em. I’m gonna cut’em.”

Smoker lazily glanced to the floor where Zoro’s katanas lay, then looked back to the pirate. “With…?”

“No Sword Style,” Zoro said with a smile. Twisting his hands in the same motion he would if his swords were there, Zoro sent a whirlwind of air forward, the force slicing through the hinges. Smoker watched slack jaw as the door  _ clanged  _ when it hit the ground. Zoro walked forward causing the marine to snap out of his state of shock.

Since Zoro could use Haki, it gave him a fighting chance while against a Logia Type. Zig-zagging in the small space around Smoker, he tried for his swords only to have them swept out of his reach. The three katanas were enveloped in smoke, hovering a foot or so away from Smoker. “Not so fuckin fast, Roronoa.”

“We both know I’m gonna escape,” Zoro smiled. The two clashed as Smoker swung his  _ jitte  _ only for Zoro to block it with Haki infused crossed arms. “So you may as well gimmie my swords back and send me on my way,” he grunted under the pressure.

“Apparently I’ve underestimated the great Pirate Hunter!” Smoker shouted back. The two pounded on each other all while Smoker kept the swords out of Zoro’s grasp. 

To make use of his surrounds, Zoro leaped at the wall and jumped off haphazardly in random directions, disappearing in the fog around them. He’d either make Smoker retract his smoke or fight him blindly, it didn’t matter which.

For several minutes, Zoro evaded Smoker, only twice being nearly bonked on the head by the  _ jitte,  _ but if Zoro wanted to make any progress, he’d have to knock Smoker out somehow. It had to be something out of character, something the marine wouldn’t ever see him doing. Again with the zig-zagging, Zoro ran around Smoker left and right over and over creating a pattern until Smoker began guessing his next move. Once Zoro was sure Smoker would predict him going left, he quickly dropped to the ground and forced his leg up into the bottom of Smoker’s jaw with a Haki covered boot. The man grunted through an audible  _ crack  _ before he stumbled backward.

Smoker teetered as his smoke slowly dissipated. He tried shaking his head to clear the stars from his vision, instead falling backward on his ass, giving Zoro the few seconds he needed to snag his swords and bolt away. It would have been so easy to get him  _ permanently  _ off his back, but through the various interactions he and his crew have had with the marine, he knew deep down that Smoker was on their side. He was only doing his job by detaining pirates, so Zoro left him alive and decided to lose him in the island’s prison instead. 

When he felt like he went down enough corridors to lose the Vice Admiral, Zoro stopped to catch his breath. Knowing damn well he had no idea where the hell he was, he was positive Smoker wouldn’t either. Thinking hard, he wondered where the hell they would keep Sanji at. He wasn’t a prisoner or a bad guy, but just a small child who they thought was kidnapped. He had to be above ground and in a safe place.  _ Maybe with Tashigi herself? _

_ Shit, what if they’re already gone and he’s on his way to an orphanage?  _ Zoro began to sweat with worry, hoping to a god he didn’t believe in that his crewmate wasn’t long gone. Who knows how long he was knocked out! It could have been hours.

The only thing the swordsman could think of to help him find Sanji was to find stairs first. Luckily for the marines, Zoro had no sense of direction.

___

It took Zoro the rest of the day, the entire night, the whole next day, and until noon the following day to make it above ground. Zoro hadn’t slept in almost three entire days! He was running on fumes, barely capable of keeping himself upright, but he had to find a clue to where Sanji had gone, he knew there was  _ no way  _ the boy would still be at the base after all this time. Normally, his horrible sense of direction wouldn’t bother him so much, but because he sucked at knowing the difference between left and right, Sanji was worse off because of it.

Over the time Zoro tried to make it up to ground level, he had to fight off constant hordes of marines. Once Smoker had regained his ability to stand, he immediately sent word out that Roronoa Zoro had escaped and alerted the entire base the Pirate Hunter was on the loose running amok. Surprisingly, Smoker never caught back up with him as Zoro never moved predictably when he ran, obviously not on purpose. Any time Smoker heard Zoro was in  _ this  _ section and thought the best option for Zoro to take was  _ that  _ direction next, he’d beat him there ready to face off, only to find that Zoro never actually came. It baffled him how the hell he was working and what his plan was.

Making his way down a hall, Zoro looked out the glass windows to see where the sun was in the sky, it being a little after noon by the looks of it. The glass-lined the walls entirely, giving off plenty of daylight. He could see the festival below still going on, completely unaware of his current crisis. 

A tickle at the back of his neck warned Zoro to stop in his tracks just before the window and part of the wall in front of him was smashed inwards and a giggling Luffy tumbled in. “HI, ZORO!” He yelled and coiled his rubber arm around him. The green-haired man was tugged to his captain’s side in a flash. “Why ya with the Marines?”

Zoro opened his mouth to speak but Chopper galloped through the hole in the wall with Usopp mounted on his back. “Oi!” Usopp said, leaning down and bonking Luffy atop his head. “Was this  _ really  _ the only way?!”

“I felt him near!” Luffy pouted. “I didn’t want him to get away again like he did last night!”

“Hah?!” Zoro asked loudly. “Luffy, let me go! They took Sanji away, we gotta go get him!”

Luffy laughed while Usopp smacked his forehead, but it was Chopper who spoke. “Sanji’s back on Sunny! He has been since the first day. He told us everything that happened so we came looking for you, said you had to be jailed up here still!”

“What?! How the hell is he on the ship!?”

“Apparently when the Marine woman was escorting him to a shelter, they ran into Quillard, literally. Sanji then saw Robin, Franky, and Brook and well - they got him back no problem!” Chopper was talking super fast to catch Zoro up.

“What the hell have you been doing here for three days, Zoro?!” Usopp screeched. “Luffy said he could detect you nearby but you were moving too much for him to locate you. It took until just now for him to pinpoint your exact location!”

Trying to free himself from Luffy’s death grip, Zoro wiggled around as he answered. “I’ve been trying to...find stairs.”

Laughing, Luffy squeezed his First Mate against him and jumped over the rubble. Calling out over his shoulder for the other two to follow. 

___

Luffy’s sandals slapping against the deck with a hard smack had jolted Zoro awake. He was so exhausted from his hunt for Sanji he had fallen asleep minutes after Luffy began making his way back to the ship. 

_ “Oniisan!” _ Sanji called out and ran up to him, wrapping his small arms around Zoro’s legs in a hug. 

“Don’t call me that, dammit,” Zoro said, looking around at the other’s who had heard. “Just Zoro.”

Ignoring him, Sanji raised his arms up asking to be held. “I missed you so much! I thought maybe the marines killed you!”

“He cried SOOOO much!” Usopp said, calling the little boy out.

“I - I did not!” Sanji said with a gasp and a reddening face. Zoro picked him up to set on his hip making Sanji forget to retaliate against Usopp.

Unable to hide his relief to see the boy again, Zoro ran his fingers through Sanji’s hair to gently move his bangs away. A smile formed on his lips when he saw the two curly eyebrows again. He brought their foreheads together. “Are you okay?” he whispered. Sanji nodded against him.

Nami, Franky, and Brook swooned at the sight of Zoro being so soft and protective of their beloved  _ nakama.  _ When their chattering became too annoying, the swordsman shot them a glare full of daggers. They weren’t teasing him at all, though, which surprised him, to say the least. He wondered if they would tell the adult version of Sanji of his actions but tried to not think of such a horrible betrayal. 

Wandering into the galley, Zoro plopped down onto the couch, letting Sanji fall to his side. “I’m sorry, Sanji, I can’t play with you just yet. I gotta sleep.”

With a bright smile, the blonde looked up and said, “That’s okay. I’ll just color again. It’s what I was doing before you came back.” He pointed up at the bar. Zoro nodded his approval and propped his legs up on the bench across from him. Sanji grabbed at Zoro’s neck suddenly, hugging him tightly before he got up to sit on a stool. “I’m glad you’re back,” he said and jingled Zoro’s earrings.

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro murmured, dozing off immediately.

___

Later, Franky came into the galley to see if Zoro needed help with Sanji but saw the boy quietly coloring by himself while Zoro napped.  _ Almost _ content with the situation, Franky  _ almost  _ backed out and closed the door, but he heard scratching coming from where Sanji was sitting. He knew damn well that crayons didn’t make that sound.

The cyborg walked over and came up behind the boy to peer over his shoulder. “Oh my god, bro, that is so not cool.” 

Sanji looked up innocently. “You don’t like it?”

Franky shook his head back and forth. The kid was holding a switchblade and carving into the wooden counter instead of coloring like he was earlier when he watched him. It wasn’t that he was ruining the wood, that could be fixed, it was the fact he had a goddamn knife! “Where did you get that?” Franky asked and snatched the blade away.

“Hey! Gimmie that back!” Sanji protested and reached up for it.

“No way, little bro. If you got hurt - do you realize how much trouble we would be in by Zo-Bro?!” Franky half-whispered, his voice spiking at the end. “He’d kill us!”

“Who’d kill you?” Zoro yawned. His arms stretched up above his head and he crossed his legs the other way for a new position. 

Franky turned with the switchblade in his hand with a gesture. “Is this yours?”

Zoro squinted his eye to see better. “Yeah,” he said with confusion and felt inside his left boot, checking for a blade that was no longer there. “Why do you have it?”

“Little Sanji must have taken it from you.”

When Zoro narrowed his eye at the boy, he quickly turned his attention elsewhere, clearly guilty. “What were ya doing in my boots?” he asked. Sanji didn’t answer. “Oi, m’talkin to you. C’mere.” Reluctantly, Sanji hopped down from the stool to stand in front of Zoro on the couch. His head hung in shame. “What makes you think stealing is okay? And what makes you think playing with knives is okay?” Sanji shrugged his shoulders in silence. Zoro sighed and rolled his eye at Franky, who also shrugged. “Franky, can you get Robin in here? I don’t know how to deal with this.”

“Sure, dude.” Franky laughed. “I’ll sandpaper this off later, so don’t worry about it,” he said, pointing at the drawing Sanji made. When Zoro asked what he was talking about, he got up to look at it. “Swords?” he asked aloud, turning to the boy who nodded back. 

The carving was bad, but Zoro would recognize  _ Santoryu  _ anywhere. It was a simple drawing of swords. Each being a single long line for the blade and a small line perpendicular at one end for the crossguard, but it made sense to Zoro. Two swords were in an X shape, while the third was horizontal above it, mirroring the image of the swordsman himself when he wielded his katanas. Zoro smiled. “Can we keep this, at least until he leaves?” Zoro said quiet enough for the boy not to hear. Franky said it didn’t matter to him, then left to get Robin.

While the two waited, Zoro felt over the drawing with his calloused fingers. He shouldn’t feel appreciated by what he saw, but he did. It warmed him that someone thought he was  _ cool.  _ The smile on his face was too big, he had to keep his back to Sanji lest he gives himself away. He was in trouble, after all!

The kitchen door was opened and closed quietly when Robin entered. “You asked for me, Swordsman-san?” he soft voice asked. Zoro explained what had happened and asked what a proper punishment should be. He tried pulling it off as being too tired to think of something, but in reality, he had no idea what to do. If it were just him and Sanji together against the world, he wouldn’t have cared. Hell, Zoro probably would have bought the little guy a sword and taught him all he knew! But that wasn’t the case, he had to have manners and respect and blah blah.

Robin looked between the two, contemplating what to say. “My, my, little Cook-san. That was very naughty of you, indeed.”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry I took Oniisan’s knife and ruined Sunny!” he begged. Robin chuckled at the nickname, Zoro growled. “I won’t do it again! I promise!”

“That won’t do, little one. You see, when a child is naughty, they must be punished so they  _ for sure  _ won’t do it again. Isn’t that right,  _ Ototo-kun?”  _

Zoro gawked, unable to believe how far her teasing could go. “D-don’t call me that, dammit!” he said with a beet-red face. Robin covered her mouth to giggle.

Ignoring his embarrassment, she knelt down and put her hand on Sanji’s shoulder. “Maybe you should sleep upstairs with Nami and me, hmm? No more sleeping with  _ Oniisan.” _

As if the boy already knew that was going to be his punishment, his lip began to quiver and he burst into tears, throwing himself into Robin’s chest. As he wailed asking for forgiveness and any other punishment, Robin looked over to Zoro with amusement on her face. With one hand, she rubbed Sanji’s back and with the other, she covered her mouth to suppress her laugh.

_ ‘You’re evil,’  _ Zoro mouthed to her with a small smile. The two waited until Sanji’s crying had slowed to say anything. “Guess that’s settled, then,” Zoro said with a stretch. He plopped onto the couch face first to lay down, not getting nearly enough sleep just yet. 

“I’ll take care of little Cook-san.”

“You better,” Zoro grumbled into the cushion. The last he heard before sleep overtook him was Sanji starting his crying back up and fighting Robin as she escorted him from the room. It hurt Zoro to hear how upset the little guy was knowing damn well the  _ real  _ punishment was the  _ mention  _ of not sleeping with Zoro. Were the Straw Hats that cruel that they’d punish a child - especially when that child was one of their own  _ nakama?  _

The knowledge of Sanji not being in harm’s way anymore let him drift off into a much needed deep slumber, a smile across his face.


	5. A Thunder Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

While he slept, Zoro dreamt of Sanji, but a Sanji who was back to his normal self, back to an adult. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the guy could _speak,_ though. Apparently, when he was turned back to his correct age, his voice had gone missing and was now mute. _It’s my fault he can’t speak, I wasn’t there when he needed me._ Zoro tossed in his sleep enough he fell off the couch in the kitchen, hitting the floorboards with a harsh _thunk._

Shaking his head from the lingering dream, Zoro felt himself sliding across the floor a little as the ship was beginning to tip. It was then the yelling from the deck registered and he jolted to his feet to run outside.

The sky was covered in a blanket of angry, black clouds. They cried down into the sea and onto the Straw Hats. The wind gushed past the swordsman, carrying him a few steps to his left before he regained his footing and slammed the kitchen door shut. 

Nami was above him shouting orders at Luffy and Usopp who were by the crow's nest tying the sails up.

“How’d the storm get the best of you?!” Zoro shouted at the navigator.

“It was so fast!” She yelled over the wind. There was no bite to her words, her genuine shock still keeping her from being offended. “Hurry and get the - oh my god, Sanji, get inside!” She screamed.

Zoro turned, following her gaze as Sanji was currently running towards him with his arms held out, his face scrunched with fear. The ship groaned as it tossed in the colossal sized waves, making Sanji stumble side to side. Before Zoro could move, Robin’s arms popped out of the ground to steady the boy and hold his hands to guide him to safety. 

Zoro turned back to Nami to await her orders, but the Sunny was suddenly hit by a wave going the opposite direction, breaking the steady ride Nami had them on. The wave hit against the side of the ship so hard there was a loud _crack_ mimicking thunder and Sunny lurched sideways. All the Straw Hats fell to the right. 

Usopp screamed out as he lost his grip but Luffy caught him, coiling a rubber arm tightly around his middle while his other wound around the mast. Chopper had been in his Strong Point and grabbed Brook’s boney figure before the wind took him away, and Franky held onto the ship’s wheel. Nami held the railings tightly and Zoro had stuck his sword into the dirt below him to steady himself. 

“No!” Robin called out, her voice barely audible over the storm’s raging cries. Sanji had flown overboard and been washed away in the enormous waves. The force had knocked Robin to her feet resulting in her concentration breaking, her hands _poofing_ away with flowery confetti. She tried to use her Devil Fruit to produce a chain of arms to reach for the blonde and would have succeeded if a new wave hadn’t washed her away with him.

With the boat dipped so low to the right, the new wave easily came above deck. Everyone had already been holding onto something, except Robin, who had been worrying for Sanji. Zoro’s mouth dropped open in surprise as he watched two of his _nakama_ become lost to the sea so quickly. Without a second thought, he jumped overboard to follow.

With only a few non-Devil Fruit users on the crew, there were only so many people who could have jumped in after them. Zoro would never allow Nami to go after them, she’d never make it back, Usopp was tangled up in Luffy and Zoro honestly didn’t think he was strong enough to beat the roaring waves either, Franky was busy steering the ship to where Zoro assumed was the eye of the storm, and there was Sanji, the person he could always rely on...but he was a child now…and he was gone.

So it was Zoro’s duty - he wasted no time at all to plunge himself into the darkened waters below after flinging his swords in the grass. Once emerged, it was near impossible to see anything. The water was black, bubbles from the angry storm forced their way up his nose and threatened to make him open his mouth and drown him, it was almost hopeless the moment he began his rescue. 

One working eye was still a working eye, though! Zoro squinted to will himself to see better, but to no avail. There was no way he could make anything out. As he dove down and swam with all his might, his arm came into contact with flesh. _It’s Robin,_ he thought and immediately grabbed ahold of her and swam to the surface. His head popping out from the water now, he gasped for air, but Robin was out cold. “Shit,” he said and forced his tired arms and legs to move closer to the ship, which had moved further away in the wind.

By the time Zoro had made his way to the side of the ship, Nami was there to help. Still telling Franky where to sail, she leaned over the railings and grabbed Zoro’s arm, pulling the two up. Zoro was quick to think Nami couldn’t do it, that she couldn’t pull both of their weight, but she came through, stunning Zoro - but there was no time to be impressed!

Laying Robin down, Zoro turned to the cyborg. “Franky!” He yelled after thunder _boomed_ in their ears. Lightning flashed before he turned to him. “Sanji is out there still! I can’t see anything! You have to go!” He shouted and pointed out to the sea. 

Brook forcefully made his way over, clutching his hat tight to his head, and told Franky he’d take the wheel while he was gone. The lights that were embedded into Franky’s body turned on and he jumped overboard after their last lost crewmember.

Zoro counted the Straw Hats just in case, counting six, plus Quillard who clung to the mast. Looking down, Robin hadn’t come to yet. Her body lay limp on the grass, her chest unmoving. He called out for Chopper but the roaring winds drowned his voice out, the doctor unable to hear him. Remembering the little basic first-aid he had trained them all in, Zoro moved Robin’s body flat to get her ready for CPR.

Pinching her nose, Zoro forced her jaw open and closed his mouth over hers, blowing air into her lungs. Letting up, he pressed on her chest _one, two, three, four_ times. Nothing. Again, he blew into her mouth and pressed on her chest. _One, two, three -_ Robin coughed, making seawater bubble from the sides of her mouth. Zoro immediately sat her up against him and patted her back a few times, giving her a chance to cough up the rest of the water. 

Once she fully regained her consciousness and rubbed the saltwater from her eyes, she looked to Zoro who was staring down at her with concern. “Sanji-san!?” she asked.

The swordsman looked out where Franky had disappeared. “Franky is out there with him,” he said. Robin wrapped her arms around his neck in a surprisingly intimate embrace, shocking him out of his worry for the other two. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save him!” she said behind tears. “I tried!”

Nami had come up beside them and hugged onto Robin which was _also hugging onto Zoro,_ the whole situation made him uncomfortable. But not nearly enough of a distraction that he hadn’t noticed how long Franky had been out there after the boy. The cyborg he wasn’t worried about as he was barely human. He probably could hold his breath longer than everyone here combined! Maybe his lungs were replaced with some sort of mechanics, he didn’t know, but Sanji was just a child...and he’s been out there for quite some time, submerged in those vicious waves, twisting and turning with the unforgiving current…

Just when Zoro was about to jump in and do who-knows-what because he couldn’t even see a damn thing, Franky climbed over the railings and dropped Sanji down next to him, then proceeded to catch his breath on hands and knees. “Sorry - _hah, hah_ \- it took so long. Kid was down deep - _hah, hah._ Tangled in floating weeds.”

Zoro smiled for a split second and then hovered over Sanji’s pale body. Wasting no more time, he pinched his tiny nose closed and squeezed his jaw open to force air into his spent lungs. Coming up, he pushed on Sanji’s chest, _one, two, three, four_ times. Nothing. Bringing his mouth over Sanji’s again, he blew more air into him. _One, two, three, four,_ he counted as he pressed down on his chest. The boy lay motionless.

Panicking, Zoro looked to the three people around him for help but they looked just as afraid as he did. Robin had come to so easily, why wasn’t it just as easy for the boy?! Zoro pinched Sanji’s nose for the third time and blew into his mouth. He pushed down on his chest, _one, two, three, four,_ nothing! Pinch nose, breathe into mouth, press on chest, _one, two, three four! Why isn’t this working?!!?_ Zoro could hear himself wheezing as he desperately pushed down on the boy’s chest, a weird _cracking_ noise beneath his hands went unheard.

“Zoro, no!” Chopper said, skidding to his knees still in his Strong Point. “You’ll kill him!” he yelled and tried pushing the swordsman away, who stared blankly down at the blonde, crushing his ribs. “Zoro, stop!”

Franky grabbed Zoro from behind and pulled him away to give room for Chopper. He didn’t even realize how _blue_ Sanji’s face had become. He lashed out trying to get to his rival, his _best friend…_

"He can’t die!" _not yet!_ Zoro thought as he reached for the boy. _He hasn’t witnessed Luffy become the Pirate King, he hasn’t found the All Blue! He can’t die because none of us have even begun to see an end to our journey!_ he screamed in his head, clawing at Franky’s arms to save Sanji.

Chopper tried CPR on him a few more times in a more professional manner, which seemed just as hopeless as it was when Zoro had tried. Chopper leaned down to listen next to Sanji’s mouth, then flipped him over his shoulder and hit hard on his back, forcing out a chunk of seaweed that seemed to be blocking his airway. It shot out and Sanji began coughing, wheezing for air. Chopper sat him over his knee and rubbed his chest and back at the same time to soothe the damage that had been done by Zoro.

Sanji started crying, his hands grabbing at his torso. His wailing stuttered as his lungs weren’t quite used to working again. Chopper had carried him to the infirmary and Zoro wanted to follow, but Franky wouldn’t let him go.

“I need to be with him!”

“Help us with Sunny! Chopper-bro has him!”

Knowing his _nakama_ was right, he regretfully stopped flailing and helped with getting the boat to safety.

___

The storm had passed. The ocean was calm again, giving the Thousand Sunny a break. Her sails were set free, taut in the wind that carried them to their next destination. Everyone was accounted for and alive.

Alive, but not well.

The night was horrible for Zoro, as he wasn’t allowed in the infirmary, no one was. He paced the deck and swung his swords, cutting the air in frustration, until the kitchen door opened and the blue-nosed reindeer pitter-pattered out.

“He’s fine!” Chopper announced to everyone who had been waiting. It was nearing two in the morning and everyone was dead tired as the raging storm sapped their energy. There was a collective sigh of relief. “Four of his upper ribs were broken, but luckily we had plenty of milk on hand. I forced him to drink a gallon which sped the healing process up…” Chopper spoke more angrily now, mostly to the green-haired one. “But he’ll need plenty of rest cause he’s not fully recovered! NO roughhousing!”

“Is he awake? Can I see him?” Zoro asked desperately.

Chopper narrowed his eyes at him. “Yes, only if you _promise_ not to move him! His body is very vulnerable right now! Milk can only do so much!”

Zoro was already forcing his way past the doctor to run through the kitchen. Bursting through the infirmary door, there laid Sanji’s small body on the bed, his chest wrapped in bandages while severe bruising peeked through the edges. Despite how awful he looked, he wore a smile. _“Oniisan!”_

That stupid smile. Zoro felt at ease again just from that _stupid_ smile. “Hey, Sanji,” Zoro sighed, all his worry gone at the sight of the boy. “How are you?”

“I’m fine but Doctor Chopper says I can’t move,” he said happily and looked up at the ceiling. “Is Miss Robin okay?”

Zoro crossed the room and sat atop Chopper’s stool, adjusting it so his shoulders were level with the bed. “She’s fine. And doesn’t want to be called that, remember? Call her Robin.” Sanji giggled at being reprimanded as Zoro’s hand automatically found its way into Sanji’s hair, moving it out of his face to show both glassy, blue eyes. “I thought you were dead.”

“I wasn’t though! Chopper says I had this huge, gross ball of seaweed in my throat that was making it hard for me to breathe!”

“I know,” Zoro whispered.

Sanji furrowed his eyebrows, realizing the swordsman wasn’t happy to see him. “Is something wrong, _Oniisan?”_

Looking at the boy, Zoro laughed under his breath, shaking his head. “No, not really. It’s just...hard to take care of a child, I guess,” he stilled his fingers that were tangled in golden locks. “You can’t seem to catch a break, can you?”

As if the boy wasn’t being abused at home by his own family, or being taken advantage of by disgusting men, or being stolen away by strange people, or drowned in the sea...he smiled. Zoro’s heart felt heavy. _When did I become such a sap?_

“It’s okay! I like living with you guys. You’re fun!” Sanji giggled, but not for long as the movement hurt his healing ribs. The boy bent forward while he coughed.

“Careful!” Zoro said through gritted teeth. Sanji did his best to suppress his laugh. “Can I…” Zoro began to ask. He was dead tired, still not fully replenished from his marine base fiasco, plus all the bullshit from last night. All he wanted was to sleep. “Can I sleep here next to you?”

Eyes widening, Sanji shook his head yes with a smile too big for his small face. Zoro undid his swords and leaned them against the counter, then scooted Sanji closer to the wall and climbed atop the cot. Taking extra caution to be as careful as he could with Sanji’s fragile state, he lay on his side and formed himself around the boy as if to shield him from the world behind him.

As Sanji lay there on his back, smiling up at the ceiling, Zoro thought how this little boy, someday, somewhere in the world, grows up to be a brash, love-struck, hard-headed fool who will keep him on his toes from the first day he meets him until now. _I don’t like that I was able to see things from your past, Curly,_ Zoro thought as he watched Sanji’s eyelids start to droop. _But I’m glad that I was here to give you a glimpse of happiness before you have to go back to your rotten family._

 _One day you’re going to be able to escape them and you’ll begin your new life of becoming the world’s greatest chef. You’ll start that dream with us._ Sanji’s eyes closed and his breathing became slow and even. Zoro reached up to cup the side of Sanji’s face and rubbed his thumb over his cheek. _Whoever hurts you, you’ll be free from them. You’ll make it out alive and you won’t ever have to see them again._

 _And if we do come across them..._ Zoro’s teeth clenched and the muscles in his jaw flexed. _I’ll kill them all. They don’t deserve to live. Not after what they did to...my best friend._

Zoro continued to watch Sanji sleep as he came to realize how much his life depended on having the Adult-Sanji around. It hurt his chest. Even though the cook was right here next to him, it wasn’t the same without the twenty-one-year-old. He missed the smoke-filled rooms, the swearing and throwing of kitchen knives, he missed having someone to fight that was on his power-level. 

Sanji was the ying to his yang and earlier he honestly thought _he was dead._ The way his eyes sunk too far back into his skull and the color of his lips weren’t normal. The fact that no matter how much he blew air into his motionless body, the boy would not spring back to life. _What if Chopper wasn’t able to get over to him fast enough? How many more seconds of life did he have left in him before it was too late?_ Zoro couldn’t imagine a life without Blackleg Sanji, not anymore. Not after living with him, _growing_ with him.

This tiny, frail body that lay next to him was something worth protecting with Zoro’s life. His calloused hand pulled Sanji’s face towards him and gave him a light squeeze, hugging the boy close. _Soon, you’ll be back to normal and you can take care of yourself again. You grow up to be strong, you know._ **_Really_ ** _strong,_ Zoro thought with a smirk. _You don’t let anyone walk over you or take advantage of you. Well, except for the girls, right?_

_When you’re back to normal, I won’t let your back become vulnerable. When you’re back to normal, I promise I won’t leave your side again._

___

It was morning when Chopper came to check up on his tiny patient. It wasn’t a surprise to see Zoro with Sanji, almost everyone on the ship had come to the idea that Zoro was the most affected by Sanji’s transformation than anyone for reasons no one knew - not even Zoro himself.

The swordsman woke to the squeak of the stool being readjusted for Chopper’s height. Wincing from the bright light that had stayed on through the night, Zoro shielded his face and turned to see Chopper’s big, brown eyes staring at him.

“Good morning,” he whispered. He stood a little taller to see over Zoro’s torso, peeking at Sanji. “How was he?”

“Slept like a rock. Both of us did,” Zoro grumbled. Shaking the sleep from his heavy head, he sat up and moved out of Chopper’s way. He stood there awkwardly as Chopper wrote things down on Sanji’s chart. “I’m, uh...I’m gonna leave you to it, then.”

“We will be out soon. I want to go over a few things but he should be fine.”

The swordsman went through the door to the kitchen and everyone was already present, only waiting for Usopp and Brook to pass the food out.

“ZORO!” Luffy shouted in his face. Before the man could walk by, Luffy had hugged him, squeezing the air out of his body.

“Oi!” Zoro wheezed. “Leggo!”

The captain released his first mate with a laugh. “Sanji okay?” he asked.

“I ain’t the doctor, ask Chopper.” Zoro sat down with a grunt.

Under the table, Nami kicked across, her heel landing on Zoro’s boot. It didn’t hurt, the steel covering his toes protecting him, but his attention was grabbed. He looked at the Witch, waiting for her to speak. “Don’t be grumpy. He was just asking you because you spend so much time with him, you know!”

Zoro’s face felt a little warm with embarrassment. “I don’t spend all my time with him!” he tried to defend himself.

From the kitchen, Brook said, “Of course, it’s because you were gone for two nights that it wasn’t _all_ your time, yohohohoho!”

“Yeah, yeah! You must have really missed little Saaannjiiiii!” Usopp teased, his voice going higher when he said the cook’s name.

“Hah? What’s this all about?” Zoro barked.

“You like Sanji,” Luffy said with an innocent smile. When Zoro’s hackles came up, Luffy laughed again and said, “You miss Big Sanji, though, don’t you?”

The room fell silent, all sound gone but the frying of the eggs in the pan on the stove. The crew was really curious to hear what Zoro had to say. The swordsman rubbed at the back of his neck as he looked around, his eyes lingering when he met Robin’s intense and _knowing_ gaze. _That damn woman!_ Zoro thought. _Lookin at me as if she already knows everything._ With a sigh, he didn’t see how he could avoid the conversation any longer. “Yeah, I miss’im,” he said quietly. “Only cause everyone else here is too weak to give me a proper fight!” He shouted, slamming his fists on the wooden table. “Without being made of rubber,” he added before Luffy could object.

The room was filled with murmured thoughts and Zoro couldn’t help but feel his cheeks get hot again. _They didn’t buy it._

At the opposite end of the table sat Quillard. They’d stuck a chair there so he could eat with them. This entire time he was silent, Zoro forgetting he was even present. As Zoro scanned his crew to shoot death glares across the table, his eye fell on the frilly man. He looked sad. 

“Good morning, _mina-san,”_ Sanji’s small voice announced himself as he and Chopper entered the galley. “Good morning, _Oniisan.”_

While Sanji climbed into his spot next to Zoro, the swordsman felt his face flush even _more_ because Sanji had given him a separate greeting _and_ called him that stupid name! Everyone was stifling their laughter because it was just too cute. 

“Sanji-kun, how are you this morning?” Nami asked cheerfully. The rest of the breakfast went just as it normally did after that.

___

“And then we should visit a super-duper cold island! That would be fun! I love the snow!” Sanji rattled on to his ‘big brother’ who grunted every so often to tell him he was listening. “But we shouldn’t go to a crazy hot island cause we might roast ourselves and become cooked meat!”

“Yeah, sounds bad,” Zoro said as he continued his pushups. For the last hour, he worked out on the open grass. The boy had climbed up onto Zoro’s back and was sitting cross-legged, waving his hands about as he continued talking, his body going up and down with every pushup.

“But it doesn’t matter where we go,” Sanji said with a smile. Zoro knew what he meant by that. He knew he meant _it doesn’t matter as long as I am not with my family._

About an hour later, Zoro realized there was someone sitting next to him in the grass. “Need something?” he asked his captain.

“I wish I was small so you’d be nice to me,” he pouted.

“Hah?”

“Sanji looks so comfy asleep like that!” Luffy whined and pointed to the boy who currently had his back to Zoro’s and was soaking up the sun while the man worked out.

“Heh? He’s sleepin?” Zoro asked, freezing mid-push up. 

Instead of answering, Luffy rolled in the grass towards his first mate until his body was stopped by his forearm. He looked up at Zoro. “I miss Big Sanji, too.”

Feeling defeated, as if he could hide anything from his captain, Zoro eased himself down to not disturb the sleeping boy and laid in the grass next to Luffy. “I’m sorry, Captain, for not staying by his side that day. If I didn’t stray too far, he’d had never been affected.”

Luffy’s large, brown eyes were only a few inches away from his face as he stared. “You blame yourself?”

Zoro furrowed his brows. “Of course I do.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sanji is strong. He doesn’t need protection.” Zoro looked at his captain as if he had grown an extra head. He knew that much but why was Luffy telling him that? “Both Zoro and Sanji are very strong, they help each other, but they don’t need protection. They are the protectors.”

Luffy’s eyes drooped and Zoro watched his thick lashes flutter as he tried to stay awake. The hot sun that beat down on the three of them was making him sleepy. Even Zoro felt a little tired after his workout. “You...don’t resent me for letting Sanji fall into this situation?” he asked.

Luffy kept his eyes closed as he spoke. “Nope.”

“I see,” Zoro whispered. Luffy was already quietly snoring next to him, leaving him alone to his thoughts. Over the past week he’d had thought for sure Luffy was disappointed in him, but...he wasn’t. It felt like there was a huge weight lifted from his shoulders after hearing that. It was enough of a relief that he, too, fell asleep for a nap.

___

Zoro woke to Nami and Robin giggling. “Hm?” he groaned. The sun was still high meaning he couldn’t have dozed off for too long, but he felt _hot._ Uncomfortably hot. His body was soaked in sweat.

 _“Ototo-kun_ is comfortable to sleep on, apparently,” Robin chuckled to Nami. 

“I can see that! It’s so cyuuuute!!” The redhead squealed. 

Zoro stirred only to feel an added weight. “Huh?” he groaned and looked behind him. Chopper had curled up in the little crook of his butt and thighs, Sanji’s feet on either side of his fluffy body. “God, that’s why I’m so fuckin hot!” He looked over to see a sheen of sweat across Luffy’s face, too, his black hair matted to his forehead.

“Sweaty _and_ stinky,” Nami said, holding her nose. “You and Luffy smell really bad.”

Zoro was going to retort, but he could suddenly smell himself, too. Even _he_ thought it was too much to bear. “Pick him up so I don’t hurt him again,” he said, flicking his head backward at Sanji. Overnight, his bones had fused back together, but his chest was still immensely bruised.

Two pairs of arms _popped_ out of the grass and tickled Sanji and Chopper’s sides until they both woke in a fit of laughter. Their happy squeals woke Luffy who began laughing seeing how happy his _nakama_ were. Robin started to tickle Luffy, too, giving enough of a distraction for Zoro to sit up. Sanji slid off his back landing safely on his feet as the arms disappeared in a shower of petals. 

Zoro stretched as he got to his feet making Robin and Nami practically gag from the smell. “BATH! NOW! ALL OF YOU!” Nami screeched, pointing up at the bathroom.

“Hah?! Ain’t no way I’m taking Luffy with me! He’s too crazy in there!” Zoro shouted back. “And why Sanji and Chopper, too?!” The swordsman leaned down and smelled Sanji’s head. “Smells clean enough to me.”

Nami shook her head and stomped her foot, still pointing up. “He hasn’t taken a bath since he’s been here and you know how he likes to -” she hesitated for a moment before rephrasing her words. “I’m sure he likes to be clean!”

Sighing, Zoro knew she was right. She didn’t know about Sanji getting a quick bath a few days ago, but he knew Adult-Sanji was a huge priss and liked to bathe as much as the girls. “Fine,” he agreed with gritted teeth. “Then why Chopper, too?”

Robin giggled and Nami playfully elbowed her in the sides, shushing her. “Just take him along!”

“Alright, alright!” Zoro said, confused as to why the witch was being weird. Robin is always weird, but Nami definitely seemed to have a second agenda for Zoro to take the pile of _kids_ with him. “If we’re not out in an hour, send help,” he grumbled and grabbed Luffy by his collar, dragging him behind. After beckoning for Chopper and Sanji to follow, he was sure to walk extra close to the girls and shake his body furiously like a dog, causing the loose droplets of sweat to spray them. He definitely got a black eye after that.

Once inside the bathroom, Luffy and Chopper had already started washing themselves at the showers. Zoro turned the faucets on the tub so it was filled by the time they were done cleaning up and when he spun around to sit on an open stool, he saw Sanji still standing with his clothes on.

“Oi, you heard the Witch, get goin,” Zoro said with a gesture towards the other two. He undid his pants and wrapped a towel around his waist, then sat down on a stool and turned on the water above. Sanji watched Zoro, then copied his actions, sitting on the seat next to him. “Ya gonna wash up or what?” he asked, reaching for the body wash.

The blonde didn’t answer, only fiddled with his hands in his lap. Zoro looked down at him waiting for a reply. “Uhm…” he tried. Zoro held out the bottle of soap in front of Sanji and told him to put his hands out, then squeezed a pile in his palms. Looking to his left, Sanji watched Chopper and Luffy scrub their bodies with the soap with their bare hands. He mimicked what he saw, also rinsing himself after he watched everyone do it, too.

“What’s wrong?” Zoro asked while he scrubbed shampoo in his hair. He was sure to ask after the other two had made their way into the tub to soak so Sanji was more likely to speak to him.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” the boy admitted and looked up to Zoro’s confused look. “I’ve never done it like this.”

Zoro cocked his head to think about what the kid meant but didn’t understand. After rinsing his hair out, he asked, “What do you mean?”

“I haven’t used that thing before,” Sanji said and pointed at the showerhead. “I have only taken baths before and the butler always washes me.”

 _Butler?!_ Zoro thought. _The cook is rich?_ He couldn’t help to stare down at the boy but soon brushed the thought away. “You don’t know how to bathe yourself?” he asked to which Sanji shook his head no. Zoro then remembered how Sanji lamely sat in the tub that night. He thought the kid was just too shocked to move and clean himself, which was why Zoro took over and helped him. Sighing, he reached down and scooted Sanji’s stool in front of him and squeezed the shampoo over his head.

As Luffy and Chopper splashed the water about, goofing off and being the kids they were, Zoro lathered up Sanji’s head real good and washed out the soap without speaking. It was strange how easy it was for Zoro to look after Sanji. Never in a million years could he ever imagine the adult version of the cook coming up to him and asking for help washing his hair - then it would be another million and _one_ years for Zoro to agree to it! 

It had to be something about Sanji turning into a child that changed all that about the swordsman. It was like his life now revolved around the blonde rather than being the First Mate, or training to beat Mihawk. For the past eight days, Sanji had taken over his life and had him in a grip he didn't even try to shake loose from.

While he ran his fingers through Sanji’s hair to make sure the last of the suds were gone, he thought about Kuina, someone he hadn’t thought of in a long while. He remembered when he was young that he couldn’t believe something so stupid and simple killed her - but she was merely a child herself, just like Sanji. Children are fragile, he had come to learn. He had come to learn it the hard way, though. At any given moment, something stupid and simple could kill Sanji, too. He was no longer the tough cook from the East Blue who kicked people’s faces inwards, but a child who could easily fall down the stairs...

Zoro shooed Sanji away to the tub while he sat there deep in thought. Back on Thriller Bark, the blonde had been willing to give up his life for Luffy, but also for Zoro himself. Sanji had refused to see Zoro die for them and instead offered his own life. Even back then, Sanji was hella strong, barely holding on after all they have been through that day, but still strong. Just before Zoro knocked him out with the hilt of his sword, he remembered how much respect he had for the man for that bullshit he tried to pull.

Getting up and easing himself into the tub with the other three, Zoro couldn’t stop thinking of how attached he had grown to Sanji. Kuina died so easily before but Zoro wouldn’t let that happen to Sanji. _He could have died last night,_ Zoro thought with a wince as he looked at the bruising on the blonde that peeked above the steaming water.

The two weeks it would take for Sanji to go back to normal was halfway done and Zoro could soon stop stressing about the damn kid, but he honestly felt a _pang_ in his chest as he knew that also meant Sanji would be at his throat again. They’d go back to bickering and arguing and fighting and whatever! Sanji wouldn’t remember a damn thing but Zoro _would_ remember. He’d be left with an empty feeling inside because he had formed some sort of bond with the boy and it would be ripped away soon.

“Weeeeeeeeee!” Sanji squealed as Luffy spun him around in the water. Chopper was begging to be next but Zoro reprimanded the others.

“Yer flingin the water everywhere, Luffy! Franky’s gonna wring us dry if he sees this place!” he yelled. When Luffy grabbed ahold of Chopper to keep going against Zoro’s yelling, he said _that’s it_ and launched across the tub to wrestle his captain.

The bathroom echoed with hooting and hollering as the horseplay continued causing water to splash everywhere.

Luffy had wrapped his arms tight around Zoro’s head from behind and pulled hard, Zoro resisting and pulling the opposite way. Luffy’s grip slipped and caused Zoro to bash his forehead against the side of the tub. “Ah, shit! You _motherfucker!”_ He shouted.

“Yeah, you motherfucker!”

The room went quiet. The splashing stopped, the laughter died. Everyone was looking at Sanji. “W-what did you say?” Chopper asked.

“Luffy is a motherfucker!” Sanji said smiling.

Zoro looked to his captain while he rubbed the sore spot on his head. Luffy just stared at him for a long time until the three older Straw Hats suddenly burst into laughter. “He is, isn’t he?” the swordsman said between laughs.

___

It had been well over an hour since they went into the bathroom, but no one had come up to say anything. Their happiness could be heard across the vast sea and no one wanted to take that away from them, giving the boys plenty of time to have fun together.

Zoro came out of the bathroom wrapped in a dry towel carrying Sanji in one arm and Chopper in the other who were also wrapped in fat, fluffy towels. He was on his way to the boy’s bunkroom for them to change into clean clothes when he bumped into Nami and Robin. “Move,” he said, trying to walk around them.

The two girls giggled. Nami sighed at the sight of them. “Adorable,” she said and brought up a snail, _clicking_ its shell to snap a photo of them.

“Oi, oi! What’s this about!?” Zoro said, gripping the boys tighter to him who stayed quiet to see what the girls wanted.

“I told you he’d come out with them!” Nami said, ignoring Zoro and speaking only to Robin.

“You did, Navigator-san, and you were right - it is quite cute,” Robin said with a soft smile and a wink to Zoro.

“I hate you both,” he said and pushed passed the two and entered the bunk room. After slamming the door closed with his foot, he set the two down while he dressed himself. “God, that witch gets on my nerves.”

Chopper helped pick out some new clothes for Sanji to wear and followed the boy over to the couch where Zoro had flopped backward, already slouching. “Zoro?” Sanji asked.

“Mm?”

“Will you read to me?”

[ ](https://twitter.com/chow_bii/status/1281775642191605762)

Slowly, Zoro closed his eyes. He liked this version of Sanji, he really did. He wasn’t sure what it was about the kid that had turned him into mush so quickly, but goddammit, he couldn’t resist him. “Sure,” he groaned and slapped a hand to his face.

Chopper brightened up and asked if he could listen in, too, which Zoro said _what does it matter at this point,_ and proceeded to climb into his lap while Sanji ran to get a book from the Aquarium Room. When he had returned, he too sat on Zoro’s lap and handed the man the book.

“This is a cookbook,” Zoro deadpanned. 

“Yeah! But it has a story, look!” Sanji said excitedly and turned the pages for Zoro. Chopper _ooo’d_ when he saw how bright and colorful the pictures were alongside some recipes. “If you read the bottom parts, it will tell you about the author.”

“How do you know about this book?” Zoro asked skeptically.

“It’s the book Robin read to me!”

“You want me to read a story you’ve already heard?!”

Sanji’s smile widened and his face was too bright for Zoro to even bare. “Mhmm! It’s really good! Please, _Oniisan!”_

Zoro’s face reddened at the dumb nickname and he gave Chopper a flick on his nose when he giggled at it, too. “Do you want to hear this cooking story?” he asked the reindeer.

Rubbing his nose, he nodded his head. “It sounds interesting! And if Sanji likes it, it must be good, right?”

Rolling his eyes and sighing for the one-hundredth time that day, Zoro thumbed back to the beginning and began reading the dumb cookbook.

After the story had ended, the three of them sat there for a few minutes talking about what they thought, at least Chopper and Sanji did. The two slid off Zoro’s lap and were blabbing on while Zoro listened. He couldn’t help himself from watching Sanji’s face as he spoke, the passion in his words even as a child seemed to run deep in his bones.

“You really like cooking, don’t you?” Zoro asked, surprising himself with the question.

The blonde nodded and said he loved cooking. “I don’t get to cook very often at my house but I try to cook a lot for my mom! She says I’m really good at it!”

“I bet!” Chopper said with a giggle. “Did you want to be a chef when you grow up?”

Sanji thought about it. “I do…” he said, the happiness in his voice faltering.

Chopper and Zoro immediately noticed the shifted tone. “Sanji?” Chopper asked and put his hoof on the other’s shoulder reassuringly. 

The boy shook his head. “I do want to be a chef when I grow up, but I don’t think I can.”

“Why not?” the other two said at the same time. Chopper sounded concerned and Zoro was already angry, knowing damn well he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear.

Sanji fidgeted around before answering. “I’ll prolly have to join my family’s army.”

Before either of them could reply, Luffy’s voice could be heard beyond the walls, yelling about food, then the door opened and bushy, black hair poked its way in. “Hey!” Usopp said with urgency in his voice. “Come get dinner before Luffy eats it all!” he said quickly and left as soon as he had come. His voice was heard telling Luffy to wait for everyone else to join.

The reindeer couldn’t peel his eyes away from Sanji. The mysterious horror of their chef’s childhood was too much for him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he sprang forward and clutched Sanji with a tight hug. The boy stayed quiet and eventually wrapped his arms around the reindeer, wincing a little from the pressure on his ribs.

As Zoro watched the two next to him, he seethed. Even though he knew Sanji would either not be in the army for very long or in it at all, as they found him peacefully in a floating restaurant in the middle of the open sea, he couldn’t help the rage he felt inside. _Who exactly are these people? They’re rich and abusive with an army?!_

When Chopper got up to go to the kitchen, Sanji and Zoro stayed put. “Why aren’t you goin to eat?” Zoro asked.

“Why aren’t you?”

Shocked that the boy sounded so much like his older self just then, he laughed. His chest felt heavy and strange with nostalgia, but he laughed. Sanji waited patiently for Zoro to regain himself. “Come’ere,” he finally said, holding his arms out and wrapped the blonde in a warm hug, careful to not hurt his bruised ribs. Thinking of Sanji having to return to his home and continue living his shitty childhood with his shitty family, Zoro felt bad. Guilty, even. “If I tell you your life will be better, will you believe me?”

Sanji rested his head on Zoro’s shoulder and softly nodded. “I believe you.”


	6. Cooking For The Last Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

The next few days had been peaceful on the Thousand Sunny. Besides the fact that Zoro hadn’t been sleeping well, at least.

It seemed the swordsman’s dreams now only revolved around the blonde on the ship. Sometimes it was a twenty-one-year-old Sanji, sometimes a seven-year-old Sanji - but every time it wasn’t anything good. It wouldn’t be long until the man was back to normal, though. Whether that made Zoro happy or not was a question he didn’t quite have an answer to. 

It was tiring, honestly, taking care of a kid that seemed like a magnet for trouble. Zoro had less sleep than he normally did and as they neared the two-week mark, he could feel how exhausted his body felt as it was on a constant alert. Sure, during his turn watching the ship his body stretched to its limits by constantly using his observation haki, but it was a different type of wear than what he was experiencing now. Sanji’s horrible luck tested Zoro in many ways that he was beginning to understand he wasn’t capable of handling properly. These scary happenings were solely why Zoro was desperate for Sanji to become an adult again. Ready for him to be strong again. Able again. Zoro longed to have his fighting companion back in his rightful place - at his side.

Then there were the mindless moments where he could lay on the grassy deck in the warm sun with the small boy cradled under his arm that seemed entirely too perfect to him. It was a similar companionship he felt about Chopper, only...not? It was different, too, though. This was Sanji, the Sunny’s cook. Curly. Dart-brow. Blondie. The warmness over his chest he felt that day could have been from the sun beating down on him or something entirely different, something deeper. All Zoro knew was that he might miss hanging out with Sanji like this when he was turned back into an adult. These small moments were the ones that made Zoro dread the final day when the kid was no longer a kid, but a vicious, foot-wielding chef that hungered to crack his skull in two at the drop of a fork.

But that was okay with the swordsman, too. Sanji was Sanji, no matter what form he was in. The tiny, leg-hugging, earring jingler that was Kid-Sanji, or the foul-mouthed, fiery foot, jaw-breaker that was Adult-Sanji. Zoro decided he had no preference, but would still miss moments with the younger version.

No matter how many bad dreams he had over the idiot blonde, he knew it would eventually be alright in a few days. His vivid yet confusing dreams involving so, so, so many awful things and he was more than ready to rid of them. A part of Zoro wasn’t sure how much more stress he could take before he cracked.

While the Straw Hats sailed onward to continue their journey to find the One Piece, the skies and seas were kind to them. Their supplies had been stocked back on the island with the festival and they hadn’t seen a Navy ship or bandits since - 

“Hey, there’s a boat out there,” Quillard said to Brook, pointing off into the distance. 

The lanky skeleton walked over and covered his empty eye sockets to shield them from the glaring sun. “And so it seems, my dear sir!” said Brook. He yelled up to the Crow’s Nest. “Usoppu! Look at three o’clock!”

“I see it!” Usopp replied, now hanging over the edge of the railing. He fussed around with his goggles until the boat in the distance became clear. “It’s a pirate ship!”

“Can you see the jolly roger?” Brook called. Usopp said the wind was distorting it too much to tell. The skeleton turned to Quillard’s plump body and smiled a toothy grin. “It looks like we might have some visitors, doesn’t it? We should inform the captain.”

Usopp had already been on his way to find Luffy. Whether the ship was friendly or not, Luffy ought to be nearby in case anyone got any funny ideas. When he passed by Franky, the cyborg thumbed towards the kitchen to point out the captain while he continued tinkering on his arm. “Luffy, there’s a ship coming into view!” Usopp announced once he entered the galley.

“Ohrewwy?” the captain answered with a mouthful of rice. After swallowing he spoke more clearly. “Are they friendly?”

The sniper moved further into the room and circled the table. “Say, what’s all this for? Who’s cooking if it isn’t me or Brook?” Usopp asked. He sniffed over the different dishes and made a sour face. “And more importantly, _why_ are you eating it?”

Luffy laughed, rice spitting out of his mouth. “It’s Sanji’s! He’s practicing,” he told the other and pointed into the kitchen. Sanji stood on a chair at the stove stirring something, seeming to be lost in his concentration, but Zoro faced Usopp with crossed arms, glaring down his nose. Usopp shrunk into himself.

“He’s trying his best, _Usopp,”_ He said through gritted teeth. “He wants to make dinner tonight.”

With an awkward, shrieking laugh, Usopp nodded his head up and down and backed away towards the door. “Right, right. Smells great, Sanji!” he yelped and fumbled with the doorknob trying to claw his way out of the room before his guts were spilled.

“Wait!” Luffy yelled. “What about the ship?” 

The color quickly returning to Usopp’s face, he answered, “They have a skull flag so they’re definitely not friendly!”

Luffy puffed his cheeks out in a pout before saying, “We have a skull flag and we’re friendly. And Torao has a skull flag and he’s friendly...and Shanks...and-”

“Okay, okay! I get it! I’m sorry. I meant they’re pirates, not marines. Not that marines are friendly, either.” Usopp quickly said with a hand to his chin. “Just come out here, will ya?”

The Straw Hat Captain hoovered up the rest of the food on the table, taking a few plates and bowls along with it, and raced out the door. The sound of his flip flops smacking against the wood stopped once they hit the grass, then very faintly you could hear them again as he reached the front of the ship.

Zoro sighed as he looked out the porthole to watch his captain and the others stare out towards what he assumed was the approaching ship.

“What if they don’t like it?” Sanji asked Zoro in a sad voice. “I don’t want them to hate me because I messed dinner up.”

The slight tremble in the kid’s voice upset Zoro. Of course Sanji wasn’t a world-renowned chef right out of the womb, but he shouldn’t have to be afraid to try, right? “They will like it, I promise,” Zoro said and came up behind Sanji to ruffle his hair. There was a sniffle in response. “Hey, are you crying?”

“No,” Sanji lied. It was obvious in his voice that he, in fact, was crying. The stuffy nose gave it away. “Yes!” he eventually corrected, the dam bursting, allowing tears to flood down his face. “Yes, I am! I just want to make good food! I want them to like it! I want them to still be my friend!”

Zoro watched as Sanji had a mini-breakdown and began to panic, too. He didn’t know what to do! Sanji as an adult is always so cool, mellow, and confident when it comes to his culinary skills. Right now, this child had the confidence range of a teaspoon and the swordsman had no idea how to handle it. “Uh, uhm,” he said, frantically trying to think of something. The only thing he could think of to soothe the boy was to scoop him up in his arms, so that’s what he did. “Hey, hey, it’s alright. Calm down, okay?” he said and hugged Sanji close. “Don’t say stupid shit like that. What makes you think they won’t be your friends if your food sucks?”

The blonde whimpered against Zoro’s green coat, leaving a wet spot on his shoulder full of tears and snot. Zoro rubbed his back and waited for him to cry it out before answering. Eventually, the boy stopped shaking and his breathing evened out. “I want to be good at something,”

Zoro’s hands clutched Sanji tighter and then he set him back on the chair to stand. “You’re only seven, Sanji. You will be good at lots of things when you get bigger.”

The boy’s lip quivered. “H-how do you know? You can’t know that.” Sanji’s face twisted into sorrow as he began to cry again, his little fist rubbing at his eye. “I’ll always be a failure…”

Both of Zoro’s hands clapped against Sanji’s cheeks, probably harsher than he wanted to, but it got the kid’s attention. “Don’t say shit like that! You’re not a failure! You wo-”

“I AM TOO!” Sanji screamed and jumped from the chair and ran towards the pantry. “I’ll never be good at anything!” 

“What - get the hell back here, dammit!” Zoro growled. The boat shook beneath his boots making him turn towards the porthole. The view outside looked normal but he still wanted to make sure everything was alright. Sanji first, though. “Come out from there, Sanji,” Zoro said defeated. The poor kid had slammed the pantry door shut and even though there wasn’t a lock, Zoro wanted him to come out on his own.

The sound of muffled crying could be heard from inside. Zoro leaned against the door and slid down until his butt hit the floor. It may seem like Zoro wanted Sanji to be his normal age again so he didn’t have to deal with a child, but the real reason was so he could stop learning new things about him. Kid-Sanji gave away too many secrets because he was, well, just a kid. He doesn’t know any better to keep those things to himself. The Sanji Zoro knew had hidden this part of his life and he did it for a reason, but Zoro learns more and more every passing day.

“C’mon, Sanji. Come on out, will you? How will you ever get better at cooking if you don’t try, right?” Zoro suggested. “Remember what I told you about the scar on my chest? How I faced the World’s Greatest Swordsman and he cut through me like a wet piece of paper?” As Zoro spoke, his hand snuck its way under his trench coat and felt over his bumpy scar, the images of that day flashing before him. The harsh reality that slashed through him showing the immense range between himself and the top was overwhelming and his chest tightened remembering how his only dream had shattered that day. “I didn’t stop training to be the best after that happened. I trained _harder_ because of it. I knew if I wanted to be better, I had to work for it. Doesn’t that sound like something you should do, too? Shouldn’t you continue so you can be the best, too?”

The sniffling and sobbing had quieted while Zoro talked. “I...I guess so…” Sanji’s small voice said. 

“That’s not the right answer,” Zoro said and turned around on his knees to open the door. He sat back on his heels to look at Sanji, who sat on his bottom with his knees curled to his chest.

“Yeah, I should keep trying.”

“There you go. Now come here, dammit.”

Sanji gave a weak smile and sniffled one last time before he got to his feet and buried his face into Zoro’s neck for a hug. The two stayed like that for a while before the door the galley opened and slammed closed.

“Help!” Quillard yelled. “Mr. Roronoa, are you in here, still!??!? There are pirates on the ship!”

The swordsman picked Sanji up in one arm and with his left, pulled Wado out of her scabbard. “How many?”

“Like - like a lot!” Quillard stuttered and backed up behind the dinner table, his back now against the infirmary door. He cradled his shoulder, Zoro noting the red stain under his hand. “Your captain went aboard to say hello and well, they swarmed us!”

With a growl, Zoro reached for the door but it burst open in his face making him jump back. 

“Ah! Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro! We’ve come to take your head!” a huge man shoved his way through the small door, ducking to fit under the frame. Two more regular-sized pirates followed after and tried to make their way towards Quillard, but Zoro quickly moved to protect him. 

“Hold on tight to me,” Zoro whispered to Sanji and the kid’s arms wrapped around Zoro’s neck. “Come take it, then,” he purred to the three intruders.

One of the smaller pirates moved around the bench and pulled out a curved sword. Its base was skinny and it tapered outward at the end. The hilt swung in a circle around his fingers as he laughed, his gaze falling on Sanji. “See you like little boys, looks like we’re one and the same, aren’t we?” he said and licked his lips.

The mere implication that Zoro was anything like that sick fuck made his blood boil. As he watched the man’s tongue jut out again and scrape across his cracked lips, Zoro felt a twitch form in his eye. Those three pirates from only a few days ago still haunted Zoro’s mind day and night. It was as if the sea was littered with pigs and he was only just now noticing because he now had a child constantly attached to his side. “Close your eyes,” he whispered again and didn’t move until Sanji turned his head away towards Quillard behind him. Wado was swung to the left and in a sideways arc, cut the man in half in a clean slice. Intestines splattered out onto the dining room floorboards and blood began to pool. _The less of these bastards on the sea, the safer it is._

The second normal-sized pirate stopped in his tracks, gaping at his dead crewmate. “B-B-Baron! He killed Baron, Demmy!”

“I see that,” Demmy said and spit out a glob of chew from his cheek. The big guy was shirtless, his body hair covering every inch of his round form. He may have looked similar to Quillard’s doughy build, but he was made of pure muscle. A light sheen of sweat formed over his forehead and upper chest. “It seems The Pirate Hunter is a little touchy when it comes to kids, huh?” His large hand covered his crewmate's face and pushed him backward without care for his well being. “Seems he wants to keep the little kid for himself, don’t he? He don’t wanna share.”

“Don’t fucking talk about him like that,” Zoro growled through gritted teeth. He _really_ didn’t like that these guys were implying he treated Sanji the same way they wanted to treat him. “Get off this ship and I won’t kill you.”

“We didn’t board this ship by accident, Pirate Hunter. Saw ya leaving port at that island, followed after ya, got tripped up on a storm on the way. We caught up, though. This ship is full of large bounties and we came to claim them.”

 _Same old shit, isn’t it?_ Zoro thought. “Y’ever stop to think why we haven’t been caught?” Demmy laughed and began to answer but Zoro swung Wado again at the man’s belly. The large hand grabbed Wado’s blade, stopping her in her tracks. _Shit, not enough room to get momentum._ Zoro pulled the blade from the other’s grasp, slicing Demmy’s palm on its way out. 

Only a small wince and then Demmy pulled two swords from each side of his belt. He crouched in a stance, ready to strike. Zoro could hear Quillard’s knees knocking together behind him and he rolled his one good eye. _Does he not have any faith in me?_

“Now it’s time for me to take that bounty. I’ll have your head and that little blondie as my prize.”

It’s like these pirates _wanted_ to die. Zoro felt a shiver run up his spine as his blood surged. Even in his scabbard, he could feel Kitetsu’s wrath waiting to be released, which was the exact reason he chose Wado. Kitetsu had been consuming his mind too easily as of late. Sanji’s vulnerability had made him weak-minded, allowing the sword to possess him. _But he can’t live,_ Zoro argued with himself. _Not because of what he said about Sanji. But because it means he does shit to other kids_ **_like_ ** _Sanji. I can’t let him go._

With a wicked smile, Zoro held Sanji tighter to him to make sure he wouldn’t fall and launched at the man. Demmy had to be about Franky’s size but he moved faster, even within the confined space. He slid over the table making his crewmate stumble backward. The guy gave off a nervous laugh and ran out of the kitchen in fear he’d get caught up in Demmy’s and Zoro’s duel.

The tableware Luffy hadn’t swallowed earlier clattered to the floor after Demmy went over the table and Zoro shot over just as fast, following it with another arc into the man’s shoulder, who dodged and spun himself in a circle with his blades outstretched. The edges swooped close to Zoro’s face before he backed out of their reach, and the rest got stuck in the wall of the galley. Zoro grimaced.

“Don’t!” he yelled at Demmy who hacked at the wall with his other sword to loosen the one in the wood. _You’re hurting her!_ Zoro thought.

Demmy laughed maniacally once both swords could freely swing in front of him again. Each time his blade came down, left - right - left - right - left, a piercing _swoosh_ breezed past Zoro. “I like that scared face he has! That mouth looks real pretty, too,” he laughed, his eyes locked to Sanji.

Zoro looked over and the idiot kid had turned around to watch what was happening. “I said to turn away, dammit Sanji!”

“Aw, don’t listen to him, _Saanjii._ You can look at me if ya want,” Demmy cooed. “I want you to look at me with those innocent eyes o’yours.”

Lips pulling up in a sneer, Zoro turned his attention back on the enemy pirate. Chest tightening as he seethed, Zoro kept Sunny in mind when he swung Wado as he stepped forward, the tip of her blade just barely grazing across the skin of his belly. This only made Demmy falter for half a second until he was widely hacking at the air to attack Zoro. Each time he brought his swords down, they sliced through the ceiling or the table or the wall or-

 _NO!_ Zoro thought as one of the blades went through a painting of Usopp’s that hung on the wall. The Pirate Hunter had to hold back as to not damage his wooden nakama, but this piece of shit Demmy guy was cutting through her without a care in the world. All the while he oozed nasty comments about what he wanted to do to Sanji once he got his hands on him.

It was a strange feeling, something Zoro had only felt a few times in his life. Though this was the second time in less than two weeks where he felt his brain short-circuiting. A dark aura formed around the three other people that stood in the kitchen. Quillard whimpered as he sunk to the floor in fear. The edges of Zoro’s vision began to become blurry, clouded with hate.

“-and then I’d prolly finish at just the sight of his mouth around my-”

A blade slashed in front of Demmy’s face, interrupting his sentence. 

Zoro felt dizzy. The air was getting thick, becoming unbreathable. When he swung at the pig, his arm felt heavy as if it were weighed down by wet sand. It was almost like Zoro’s nightmares were coming true, like he wouldn’t be able to help Sanji because he was too slow or too weak.

“-choke the life out of him afterward. Can’t wait to see those big eyes staring up at me-”

Another arcing slash at Demmy, the blade again only grazing his cheek. It wasn’t enough, _Zoro_ wasn’t enough.

The sounds of Luffy’s _gomu-gomu_ yells...the sounds of vines growing and snapping...the sounds of thunder where there weren’t any clouds in the sky...all of those noises that told Zoro his nakama were fighting against the rest of the enemy pirates...all of those noises faded away and the only thing left for him to hear was the rush of his blood harshly pumping through his veins. Zoro’s heart hammered against the backside of his ribcage as he tried to regain his footing as he began to sway along with his blade when he swung it.

Demmy’s gurgling laughter was faintly heard as background noise and Zoro’s ears began to ring. The loud buzz started off quiet as it cut off the rest of the noise of the world around him until it was overwhelming and he could feel the hum in his fucking _brain._ The swordsman's tongue felt heavy in his mouth. It wouldn’t form words when he tried to speak. He tried to warn the man to stop talking about Sanji like that, but he couldn’t.

Zoro’s vision blackened for a brief moment, it flickered in and out and he had to shake his head to will his sight back. All his thoughts were consumed with hate, the only thing he wanted to do was to kill this man but he didn’t want to hurt Sunny by going all out. Demmy was already creating gouges around them and it stung Zoro’s insides each time a splinter of wood flicked up. Trying to speak again, Zoro’s mouth formed the words ‘stop’ and ‘leave’ and ‘die’ but no sound came out except for mindless babbling.

“He’s such a pretty lil kid, too. Good to look at, like a lil trophy to keep on a shelf,” Demmy panted and tightened his grip on his swords.

The light around them that allowed Zoro to see seemed to go out, his vision blackening once again. When he regained his sight, the dinner table was cut in half along with one of the benches. Demmy was on his knees and his two grimy fists were clutching Zoro’s arm, desperately clawing at it. Zoro’s left hand was no longer holding Wado, instead, it held Demmy’s face, barely even able to cover half of the surface as he was so much larger than the Pirate Hunter.

It didn’t matter, though. Zoro didn’t need to cover his entire face, he had what he wanted. His pointer finger and thumb lay just under than man’s eye sockets, pressing hard making Demmy tightly squeeze them shut to protect them. Zoro heard himself laughing, a particular tone he rarely heard come from his throat. Demmy was saying something to him, his lips moving but he couldn’t hear what he was saying, only the sound of his heartbeat.

Zoro hungrily watched himself force his fingers deep into Demmy’s eyes, pressing the digits between his eyeballs and the lids holding them in place. The hand vibrated as Zoro increased the pressure. The soft spheres were pushing back against the bone in Demmy’s skull causing the man’s mouth to open in what Zoro assumed was a scream - but there was nothing but his heartbeat.

Demmy’s eyeballs could no longer stand against Zoro’s strength and soon gave out, a small _popping_ noise as they burst. First the right, then the left. Zoro kept his fingers inside, squeezing them together to pinch the deflating orbs as the vitreous jelly slowly seeped out and down the pirate’s dirty cheeks.

Demmy’s hands ripped at Zoro’s fingers trying to pry them away from his face but Zoro’s hold was too tight, his strength greater than the other’s. His mouth moved, saying something, screaming something, Zoro didn’t know, only hearing muffled humming in replace of a voice… And the _thud, thud, thud_ of his heartbeat.

The blurriness around the edges of Zoro’s vision seemed to fade away and he finally seemed like he was able to control his movements again, though the blood rushing in his ears still drowned out the sounds around him. The swordsman jerked his hand back as if he were bitten when Brook and Robin stumbled into the kitchen.

“We...we heard screaming,” Robin said, her usual calm self taken aback by the scene in front of her. Now that Demmy was released he doubled over as he clutched his hands to his eyes, crying out in pain. The yell slowly fading its way into Zoro’s mind as his hearing was coming back.

“Zoro-san,” Brook said softly and made his way over to the swordsman. His long, bony arm reached out as he gently placed his hand over Zoro’s shoulder to ground him. “I’ll take care of the rest,” he said reassuringly. When Zoro slightly nodded, Brook grabbed Demmy by a wrist and tugged, urging him to follow. The man who once was overflowing with confidence that he was going to take Zoro’s head now openly wept from the pain he was in. He stumbled over the upper half of his crewmate that laid sprawled on the floorboards, boots slipping in his blood.

With a blank look, Zoro watched Brook lead the pirate out and then Robin was standing in his line of view. “Zoro-san?” she asked, eyes wide as she cautiously approached him. It wasn’t a rare sight to see Zoro covered in blood after fights, him being one of the few _actual_ killers on the crew. Even Robin was quite ruthless as she twisted people’s spines or snapped their necks. But seeing Zoro use his _hands_ to do his dirty work when he normally left that job up to his blades was a little unnerving to the older woman. “What happened?”

Sanji’s face had once again buried its way into Zoro’s neck to shield himself from what Zoro was doing but at the sound of Brook and Robin, he peeked his eyes out from under Zoro’s chin to see if all the scary stuff was done. He waited to see what Zoro had to say.

A numbness engulfed Zoro’s body as he dropped to his knees. His arm barely able to prop Sanji up anymore, its hold slipping and Sanji moved his feet so they could right himself and stand on his own. The blonde looked up to Robin, silently wondering if Zoro was okay.

Robin was surprised when she felt Zoro’s body fall against her in defeat. He leaned his head into her midriff and clutched the fabric of her skirt, it bunching up in his fists. “I can’t take it,” he whispered, pain lining his trembling voice.

Robin had never seen Zoro lay himself so bare and honestly, she was too shocked to do much of anything anyway. Her hand automatically rested atop his head and soothed the green hair back in a motherly touch.

“I can’t do this. And I can’t lose him,” Zoro admitted. His wide frame shook against Robin. As he continued speaking, Usopp had entered the room to see what had been going on but froze at the sight of everything. The blood on the floor, the guts spilled next to the table they ate at that was now in two pieces, Zoro on his knees as if he were crying...what the hell was going on? “I can’t lose him,” Usopp heard Zoro whisper again.

While the days had crept by, Robin, like basically everyone else, had noticed how fond Zoro had become of Sanji. Always quick to take him into his arms, to tickle him, to hold him close as they slept, to scold him when he was wrong, to wipe his tears when he fell. So when Zoro crumpled the flowery skirt in his fists again as the cramping agony stung his insides, she knew he was taking everything personal. “Shh, it’s alright, Zoro-san,” she purred. “He’s safe, see?”

Knowing Sanji _was_ safe was obvious. He had made sure of it this time by keeping him in his arms while he fought. It was the only way he knew that he wouldn’t fall off the ship, or be kidnapped, or be touched by grimy pig-pirates. It wasn’t Sanji’s safety that was entirely making him break down this time, though. It was his innocence, too. The thought of someone taking the boy had made Zoro gag. “I couldn’t allow him to see anymore,” Zoro repeated a few times under his breath as the images of pressing the jelly out of Demmy’s eyes were seared into his mind. It was something he couldn’t stop himself from doing like his body was on auto-pilot and he had kicked back to watch what would happen next.

Robin continued her pets over Zoro’s head with one hand while the other softly rested on his shoulder to assure him she was listening. “There are still three more days left. I can’t do it, I can’t. I’m…” Zoro’s voice broke off and for a moment, it was silent in the kitchen. All the scenarios Sanji has been in so far were dangerous in some way and it was all because of him. He wasn’t there to help Sanji that rainy day and now he’s standing here as a child in a pool of someone’s blood. _What if he gets permanently hurt? What if he...what if he dies just as easily as Kuina? Kuina died. Sanji could die. Sanji can’t die, he can’t leave me. He’s my best friend, my other half. I can’t let anything happen to him but it’s so hard when the world wants to crush everything that I care for._ Zoro’s breathing had quickened and he could feel his tongue beginning to swell back up as he tried swallowing to bring moisture back into his mouth. “I’m breaking.” The room spun a little at the confession, but Robin’s hand squeezed his shoulder and glided under his chin to force him to look up at her.

“You aren’t alone, Zoro-san. You can rely on us, too, to protect the little cook. We love him as much as you do.” Robin’s low voice was probably more soothing to Zoro than she ever knew. The clenched muscles in his back began to ease. “Isn’t that right, little one?” she asked Sanji.

With great effort, Zoro reluctantly unraveled his fingers from Robin’s skirt, testing if he was strong enough to move away from her comforting touch. Absently feeling to his right until his arm came into contact with Sanji, he pulled the boy close and whispered his apologies to him. 

“Why are you sorry?” Sanji asked and gave Zoro’s earrings a jingle to try and cheer the man up. “You protected me and Quillard.”

At the door, Brook had returned and joined Usopp at his side to check back in on Zoro. The two silently stood waiting to see if there was anything they could do. 

Zoro weakly smiled into Sanji’s hair before pushing away to look into his one visible eye. His hand swiped the hair over to the side. “You weren’t scared of what I did?”

The boy gave a lopsided smile and a shrug. “I looked away as soon as you dropped your sword. Had a feeling cause of...you know, what he - what he was saying...” Sanji had cast his gaze downward at the bloody flooring. “I’m okay, _Oniisan,_ honest.”

“That’s good,” Zoro said. A wave of exhaustion rushing through his body and he felt his head become too heavy to hold up. The room was darkening again, too.

The swordsman teetered back and forth on his knees and then eventually his weight swayed too far to one side causing him to fall over, his face landing just outside of the blood from the severed pirate.

___

Awakening with a pounding headache and a dull throb in his side, Zoro found himself in the infirmary. Accompanying him was Brook and, to his surprise, Quillard. Wincing as the bright, fluorescent lights stung his retinas, he sat up and looked for blonde hair.

“He’s with the ladies,” Brook said softly. Zoro jumped a little as he thought the man was sleeping, but with black holes where eyes were supposed to be, Zoro guessed it was a little hard to decipher if he were awake or not. “All bathed up and taking a much-needed nap. Something you need, too.” Zoro opened his mouth to protest because that was stupid but the skeleton held up his hand to stop him. “Doctor Chopper says you passed out because you’re exhausted _here,”_ Brook pointed to his skull, “and _here,”_ he said and pointed to where his heart would be if he were fully alive.

“I’m fine,” Zoro lied, forgetting he told Robin he was, in fact, _not_ fine. He was barely holding on.

Ignoring the swordsman, Brook said, “Doctor Chopper almost sedated you to get you to stay asleep longer, but I talked him out of it. I knew you’d be upset if you weren’t there for Sanji when he woke from his nap.”

Zoro looked away, slightly embarrassed that he was so obvious to read. Swinging his feet over the edge of the bed and trying to stand on his own, Zoro’s knees buckled as the pain in his side jolted through him. “Agh!” he groaned and felt the area. When he looked down, he noticed he was shirtless with bandages wrapped around his stomach. “I was hurt?”

Instead of Brook, Quillard spoke up. “You were stabbed multiple times by that pirate.”

“Heh? I don’t remember that,” Zoro protested and shot a glare over to the plump man as if he were lying.

Quillard nodded his head slowly. “Right, right. Your ship’s doctor says you might have blacked out for a few minutes. I believe it was then when he was stabbing you in your side, pleading for you to let him go because you didn’t flinch away _at all.”_ Zoro’s eyebrows went up in surprise but he stayed quiet to hear what else happened. “You were so fast, he didn’t stand a chance. You forced his swords from his hands and your palm covered his face. He then grabbed a knife from his belt and began stabbing you. Only when you began to, uhm, _squeeze your fist_ did he stop.”

“And how many times was I stabbed?”

The frilly man winced but took the question seriously by counting on his fingers. “I think seven or eight times.”

Zoro made a face of disbelief. He hadn’t realized he was being stabbed? “Huh, weird,” he said and shrugged. He stood more slowly this time to ease the pain in his side and pushed off the bed. “I should prolly help clean up the mess.”

“It’s already done. Usoppu and I took care of it,” Brook told him. Zoro was surprised Usopp was on cleaning duty, he normally opted out due to some sort of I-Can’t-Clean-Up-Dead-Bodies disease. 

“Mr. Roronoa, I’d like to thank you,” Quillard said. The man fiddled with his fingers while his eyes darted around to find the right words. Zoro looked over to him. “I, uh, I know you only protected me because you need me to help your crew member, but I still wanted to give my thanks.”

The swordsman saw a bandage on his arm where he had seen the blood. Chopper must have patched him up, too. Giving a single nod, Zoro left through the door that led to the kitchen to check the damage to the ship.

There were gouges on the ceiling, floor, and wall that lined the outside of the ship. The painting that had been sliced in half was gone. Zoro’s gut gave a _pang_ of guilt knowing he didn’t do as good of a job protecting the ship as he normally does. With Sanji in one arm, Quillard vulnerable behind him, the confined space, and the worry of keeping Sunny safe made it difficult for Zoro to execute his job correctly. 

Standing against the bar, Zoro ran his hand over the missing pieces of wood in long, triangular shapes. Of course Franky could fix it but that wasn’t the point. Sunny was hurt in the battle, too. As he continued sliding his hand over the counter, he saw the little carving Sanji had made of his _Santoryu._ A small smile formed on his face.

___

Emerging from the kitchen, Zoro looked around the sunny deck. Only Franky and Luffy were out, the girls and Sanji still napping. 

“Oh! Hi, Zoro!” Luffy said chipper than ever. “Chopper will be mad if he sees you standing,” Luffy was quick to mention. He smiled.

“I’ll sit down in a few minutes. Have you seen Usoppu?” Zoro asked. Without looking up from his tinkering, Franky said he was in his shop. The swordsman said his thanks and went below deck.

As he approached Usopp’s workroom, he could hear him talking to himself about his recipes. For a moment, Zoro hovered outside the door with hesitance. This type of thing wasn’t something Zoro always did, but he knew he had been acting weird since Sanji had been forced back in time. It was almost as if he _had_ to do this…

With two terse knocks, Zoro asked if he could come in. Usopp paused, silent as he tried to understand why _Zoro_ of all people was at his door. “Uhm, yeah come in, come in,” he answered.

The swordsman didn’t entirely enter the room, only stood in the door frame as awkward as ever. “Hey…” he started, scratching at the back of his neck absentmindedly. Taking a look around, Zoro realized it had been a while since the last time he was down here. Usopp had put up more shelves that were now littered with various jars filled with little balls. Probably the weapons he’s created for his slingshot. “Did you have time, or…?”

“Huh?” Usopp hummed. “Oh, to talk? Yeah!” he said and went to stand up but Zoro put his hand out for him to stay put. Instead, Zoro shut the door behind him and joined his crewmate on the floor.

“Look, I - uh...I wanted to say thank you fer cleanin up the kitchen after all that shit. It was my mess and you didn’t have to.”

Usopp seemed to relax after he knew what Zoro was down there for now. It could have been anything! But if it was just about that, well, “It’s no biggie,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. He wiped under his long nose and puffed his chest out. “I’m pretty reliable, you know. I can do many miraculous things that would make your eyes - er, _eye_ \- pop right out of your head in surprise! But I keep my abilities in check by cleaning up once in a while. You know, to stay humble and all.”

That made Zoro chuckle a bit. The first laugh was harder than he wanted and a tight pang in his gut shot up his side. He rubbed the wound while he searched for the right words. “Right. It’s still appreciated. Also wanted to apologize, though. One of yer paintings was wrecked. If I had brought the fight to the open deck none of that would have happened. I’m sorry,” he said and hung his head. He picked at a few dried blood-pieces on his pants to distract himself from how weak he felt about the whole fight.

“It’s alright! See?” Usopp said and pointed to the wall furthest from them. There hung the painting, all put together. “Just a little tape on the back. I’ll make a new one for the kitchen, though. Don’t want to keep scary memories hanging around.”

Zoro smiled, already feeling better. “I’m glad,” he said and stood to leave.

“Wait!” Usopp squeaked as Zoro’s hand reached the doorknob. “Are you okay, Zoro?” he asked quietly. Seeing the second strongest person on the ship break down like that was horrifying. It should really ground a person like Usopp, remind him that even the mightiest of people are still just that - people. Human. But it didn’t, it _scared_ Usopp. 

After a long while of Zoro standing mid-stride facing the door, he finally loosened his stance and leaned his head against the wood. If he was going to say the truth, he couldn’t look his mate in the eye. He was too much of a coward. “No, I’m not,” he said with a sigh. Before Usopp could respond, Zoro continued. “But I’ll be alright. Only a few more days and everything’ll be just the way it used to be. I’ll be alright. I have to be.”

___

The boy’s bunk room was empty, just as Zoro wanted it to be. Walking around the ship was hard to do when you were avoiding your doctor catching you _not resting_ like any other person who was stabbed would normally be doing. Besides Luffy. And maybe Sanji.

 _Sanji,_ Zoro thought. God, he missed him. The constant missing presence of the blonde made Zoro ache with longing to see him again.

Rummaging under his pillow, he found what he was looking for; a pack of smokes. He’d taken the new box from Sanji’s dresser and helped himself a few days ago. For the fourth time this week, Zoro struck a match across the bottom of his boot and lit the end of the cig. He took a few puffs until the cherry was properly lit and sighed as the familiar smell of nicotine filled the boy’s room once again. Zoro closed his eyes as he took the smell in and fell back into his bunk. While he slowly smoked the cigarette away, he felt a little proud of himself that he didn’t cough as much as he did the first time. 

Rolling his head over, Zoro let his gaze fall upon the bunk that hung next to his. It had been empty for almost two weeks. It was weird. Like a weight that had always been there had been lifted, but not in a good way. Like a comfort-weight that was torn away from him. Zoro took another long drag and blew it out into the air above him only to breathe the smoke right back in. This was the best comfort he could think of.

He knew if he drank for comfort, he wouldn’t likely stop, and he needed to be clear-headed to watch over that Trouble-Magnet of a blonde. His other way of relieving stress would have been to start a fight with the cook so they could duke it out, but obviously, that wasn’t going to work either. The next best thing that could take some stress off his mind was nicotine. It actually calmed his nerves to smell the smoke again, and his aching heart.

___

“ZoroOoOoOoOoOoOo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Sanji sing-songed as he burst through the door of the men’s bunk room. He made a beeline straight for him and bumped into the wooden box, making Zoro shake.

“Hmm? Hey, kid,” Zoro said sleepily. As he spoke, the butt of the cigarette dropped from his lips and landed on his chest, proceeding to roll down between the depths of his bunk. He rubbed his eyes and then picked Sanji up to rest on his lap. “Have a good nap?”

The boy nodded with excitement but his smile faded as his eyes trailed to the bandages wound tight over Zoro’s lower abdomen. “I didn’t know that bad man was hurting you,” he said sadly. “I faced away just like you told me to! I didn’t know!”

Lightly chuckling, Zoro reached up to swipe Sanji’s bangs over to reveal his left eye. “It’s alright, don’t worry about me. I’ve been through much worse,” he said. Sanji looked about ready to protest but Zoro tapped at the long, grotesque scar over his chest to remind the boy of what _real_ pain was. “Are you still up for making dinner for us?”

Sanji lit up with excitement. “Yeah! Robin and Nami talked to me about it before I fell asleep. They said I should do something simple to start with instead.”

Zoro nodded his agreement as he ran his fingers through Sanji’s hair. “I’m sure whatever you make will be just fine. Let’s get it started, though. Captain won’t last much longer.”

The two headed into the kitchen, Chopper intercepting them. The doctor had berated Zoro into telling him he needed to check the stitches and change the salve. Leaving Sanji to tend to dinner himself for a few moments, Zoro went with Chopper.

“Mmm, smells good, Cook,” Zoro hummed as he reentered the kitchen. Nami was going through the cupboards and writing things down. “Making a list?” he asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Yeah, we have to restock the kitchen again. Don’t tell them I said anything but Brook and Usopp did a _horrible_ job going through everything! They missed so much!” Nami said more to herself than anyone as she continued opening and closing the cupboard doors. “We’ll have to dock _again_ and this time I’ll go shopping. Can’t leave anything to men, I swear!”

Huffing a laugh, Zoro nodded his agreement. “Need a pack mule for the heavy lifting?”

Straightening her posture with stars in her eyes, Nami clasped her hands together with excitement. “Oh, Zoro, yes! That would be wonderful!”

“Maybe knock off a few thousand beri for me?”

Nami cackled a laugh, knowing Zoro was speaking of his debt. “Not even in your dreams,” she said and went back to the list. Zoro shrugged. At least he tried, right?

“So what ya makin?” Zoro asked the blonde. The boy stood on a chair at the stove and stirred a pot with one hand and flipped some bread over in a pan with the other.

“A tomato soup and grilled cheese!” Sanji said with a smile. Nami hummed in the background, happy to hear Sanji took her advice to start simple.

“Oh, you _really_ meant simple, didn’t you?” Zoro didn’t mean to say out loud. The boy cringed into himself hearing that, seeming to lose his confidence. “That doesn’t mean it won’t be any less good! Ugh, you know what I meant, you dork,” Zoro growled and pulled Sanji in for a quick noogie, ruffling his perfect hair into a mess.

“Oi, stop it, you motherfucker, I’m trying to cook here!” Sanji squawked, waving the swordsman away, who froze in place. Zoro could _feel_ the stare crushing the back of his head. 

Nami came up beside Zoro and smacked her hand down harshly onto his shoulder, clutching it tightly. “Zoro- _kun,”_ she started through gritted teeth. “Tell me why I just heard my little _innocent_ Sanji-kun say something so vulgar?”

“I- I didn’t purposely teach him that, you know!” Zoro stuttered, trying to back out of Nami’s hold. “Kids pick up on things like that!”

Nami opened her mouth again to reprimand her crewmate, but Sanji waved her off, too. “It’s not that big of a deal, Witch,” he said casually, his eyes never leaving the stove. The next thing Sanji knew, Zoro yelped as flesh met flesh, and then the sound of sandals stomping away out of the kitchen leaving the two alone.

Zoro groaned as he held his throbbing eye. “Thanks a lot,” he mumbled. He turned to the icebox to grab a handful of ice and placed it in a clean washrag to hold to his face. 

Sanji only cocked his head sideways in confusion, not entirely sure what just happened.

[ ](https://twitter.com/chow_bii/status/1275773975696519170)

___

Usopp and Brook let Sanji take over cooking the meals for the last few days he was with them. The menu consisted of very basic meals, not entirely full of the right nutrients that Adult-Sanji put into them, but they got the job done. Luffy still whined for more, as always, and everyone ate every last speck of food, as always. Sanji didn’t understand how the people around him could love his food so much that they wouldn’t leave even the crust to bread or a few pieces of rice. 

Actually, it _amazed_ him. Once, he saw Usopp crinkle his nose and hesitate to take a second bite of his fish, and Sanji was _sure_ he wouldn’t like it. His heart skipped a beat as it prepared itself for the crushing blow of rejection. The look in Usopp’s eyes changed almost instantly, though, and he tucked in anyway. Sanji _knew_ the older guy didn’t like his food, but he ate it anyway? Why would he do that? Even when the blonde took a bite of his own fish, he could see why Usopp had made the face. It was _really_ salty. 

Sanji had planned on not finishing his fish and instead was working on his broccoli but his big brother insisted on him eating it anyway. Of course, Sanji knew he had to eat it if he wanted to stay on his good side, but it was so gross! 

The entire table hadn’t seemed to notice the saltiness of the fish, though. Each person eating their food as if it was the last thing they’d shove in their mouth ever again. Sanji had said they didn’t have to eat it. He actually encouraged them to throw it out and he would try again, they had plenty of fish left and it cooked really fast! 

But the murmurs from the other crew members told him otherwise. The boy just couldn’t understand how they could eat something he _knew_ they didn’t like - at least something they shouldn’t like. One by one, plates were emptied and cleaned and Sanji sat there with a few bites of his own fish left.

Luffy even _begged_ him for those last few bites, but his big brother stuck a fork in his palm, like he did every other meal, to stop it was snatching away what wasn’t his. Sanji knew that meant he had to eat it himself so he forced it down. It was sooooo salty and he hated it!

Their last breakfast together on the fourteenth day consisted of pancakes that weren’t quite done in the middle. Sanji cut into his stack of two and saw the center was goopy. A small tear ran down his cheek at the sight. He couldn’t even cook pancakes right! Yet the people around him ate them anyway. Usopp, Nami, Chopper, and Brook sat across from him, all eating without batting an eyelash when they saw their pancakes were just as raw as his. Robin on his right smiled down at him while she chewed when he looked up at her.

When Sanji looked up at his left and saw Zoro eating the food just as easily as everyone else, he felt strange. Confused. “Does everyone like their breakfast?” he asked quietly. Heads bobbed up and down, a few murmurs of agreement, Luffy shouting that he loved them, all the feedback was positive. “But they’re not done. They’re still runny in the middle.”

“Still good!” Luffy said with a mouthful, each cheek packed with pancake making them rounded.

Sanji felt a gentle hand on his head. He looked up to see Robin smiling down at him again, her eyes closed in happiness. “It’s fine, little Cook-san. You make yummy food.” She continued to pet his head a few times and then let her hand fall to his back, rubbing in circles to comfort him.

Zoro grabbed at a few empty plates and stacked them before getting to his feet and putting them in the sink to wash. As he turned the faucet to fill the sink, he grumbled, “Gotta practice to become better, right?”

It was quiet, but Sanji heard it. He nodded his head slowly while Robin pulled him closer to her side in a loose hug.

___

After breakfast, Zoro had kept Sanji busy so everyone could prepare for what was to come. Chopper had prepared the med room by getting Sanji’s adult clothes ready. He planned on having Sanji take _his_ clothes off so they didn’t tear, put him in a gown, then when he changed back into his twenty-one-year-old self, he wouldn’t have to worry about his body being constricted by a tiny pair of shorts and shirt.

The Straw Hats all gathered out onto the deck to say their goodbyes to Kid-Sanji. The crew stood in the grass and hugged him one-by-one, which confused the boy.

“Why are you all saying goodbye?” he asked once he got to Zoro, the last person besides Chopper who waited at the kitchen’s door.

Zoro knelt before the boy and put his hand on his shoulders. “I’m gonna miss this version of you. You’re so much more tolerable this way,” he whispered and brought Sanji in for a hug.

Sanji looked at the rest of the crew over Zoro’s shoulder. His arms were wrapped around Zoro’s neck, one hand gripping him tight and the other played with the golden earrings he loved so much. “What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere.”

Zoro pushed away and looked into Sanji’s one visible eye. Just as he did for two weeks, he gently tucked blonde bangs away so he could see two huge, glass blue eyes staring back at him. The sight of those curly eyebrows made him smile. He wanted to see them one last time before Adult-Sanji hid the second one away from the world. “It’s alright. We’ll see you again soon.”

Luffy was squatting next to them now. “We get to see big Sanji now!” he said loud enough for the others to hear, and Nami proceeded to slam her fist into his rubber head.

“Don’t say that, Luffy! What did Chopper tell you!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Luffy said, rubbing his head. “I mean, nevermind! Shishishi!” he said and stood, Zoro following.

“I still don’t get it. What do you mean by ‘big Sanji’? Why are you going to miss me, _Oniisan?”_

The damn nickname pulled at Zoro’s heart. He hated it but at the same time _\- of course he didn’t hate it!_ Only a fucking devil could hate this tiny, cute child calling them that! “You have to go with Chopper now,” he said, choking a little, but proceeded to push Sanji towards the doctor.

Confused, Sanji complied and when he reached Chopper’s side, he turned to see the whole crew was standing there looking at him. “Where are we going?” he asked.

Chopper took him by the hand and led him through the kitchen and into the infirmary. Quillard, the big man with a frilly outfit, was in there. Sanji had learned that this man wasn’t part of the crew, but he was important in some way. He gave a weak wave and with Chopper’s help, climbed onto the examiner’s bed. 

Chopper said a few things about his clothing and even though it didn’t entirely make sense to him, he undressed anyway. The reindeer tied an oversized gown around him, it loosely fitting his frame and falling over his shoulders. The boy patiently waited as Chopper then said a few things to the fat man, and then said fat man approached him with his arm extended.

The door opened and Usopp slid in, making Quillard pull his arm back in hesitation. “Zoro said he wanted me to make sure everything went alright,” Usopp whispered to Chopper who was wondering why he had come in. He looked at Sanji with a big smile and two thumbs up. “Good luck going back, buddy!”

Chopper pinched Usopp’s leg making him yelp. “Baka!”

“Go back where?” Sanji asked with fear in his voice. He shrank away from Quillard as the man extended his arm towards him again. “Chopper, where am I going?!” The boy’s voice was shaking and his heart was pitter-pattering faster and faster as the silence echoed around the room. “Chopper!”

“Back to where you were before here!” Chopper said, unable to keep the information away from the boy any longer. He couldn’t do it, not with his face painted with horror. “Do it now, Quillard!” Chopper squeaked, ushering the man to hurry and touch Sanji with his power.

Not understanding what Quillard had to do with ‘going back to where he was before’ but knowing he sure as _hell_ didn’t want to go back home if that’s where they meant, Sanji scurried backward on the bed and into the wall. Usopp put his hands up to ease his worry but it just didn’t make sense. Why did they want to get rid of him? “Don’t touch me!” he screamed, kicking out at Quillard. “Get away from me!”

Usopp came closer with a pained expression and grabbed one of Sanji’s feet, making the boy scream in terror. Quillard took this opportunity to touch the boy’s ankle and release his power, sending him back to the date that Chopper had told him.

Except the boy stayed a boy.

“How long does it take?!” Usopp grunted as he tried adjusting his grip on Sanji. The boy was kicking and screaming.

“It should be instant!” Quillard said, still holding onto Sanji, too. In the confusion, the boy had kicked himself free and when Usopp launched at him telling him it was okay, Sanji jumped over his back and dodged away from Chopper.

Sanji ran through the kitchen and burst through the door, spilling out onto the deck in a fall as he tripped on the huge gown. Chopper and Usopp were behind him in the doorway panting and looking out at everyone. 

“Are you going to do it or what?!” Nami impatiently said.

“He did!” Chopper yelled. “It didn’t work!”

Sanji had gotten to his feet and ran towards Zoro screaming while Chopper spoke. “They want to get rid of me, _Oniisan!”_ he said and clutched Zoro’s pant leg. “They want to send me back home! Don’t let them!”

Zoro tilted his head at the sky with closed eyes. _Why is this happening to me?_ He asked himself. Instead of answering, Zoro ignored the little boy at his feet.

 _“Oniisan!_ Help me! I don’t want to leave!” Sanji continued crying, even as Usopp had come up behind him and wrapped his arms around his middle, pulling him away. Sanji’s fists tightened their grip and refused to let go. “NO! PLEASE! DON’T LET THEM SEND ME BACK!”

Zoro began to shake. His good eye opened and he stared into the sun trying to blind himself. Anything was better than what was happening at his feet. He willed his arms to cross so they didn’t dare have the urge to reach out for the little boy that he had grown so attached to. The light breeze caressed his face as he closed his eye again. Little red and orange dots appeared behind his eyelids.

Usopp was really yanking on the kid, now. His body was bent in half as he put all his weight into pulling backward. His brow creased and jaw clenched tight. Though he was determined to get Sanji back into the med bay and figure out what happened, tears fell down his face hearing Sanji plead for his life.

“LEG GO OF ME!” Sanji cried desperately. With every word, he sobbed even harder. “PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME GO BACK! WHY ARE YOU SENDING ME AWAY?”

By now, the other crew members were audibly crying, too. Robin had met with Quillard in the doorway to ask him what was wrong. He had told her he didn’t know, it was supposed to work. Robin turned to the crew with confusion, ignoring the tears falling down her face as Sanji wailed, and said, “It’s been fourteen days, right?”

There were nods and Brook was seen counting on his boney fingers. Nami spoke up, “Yes, today is the last day, I marked it on my calendar!”

Robin winced when she turned back around to face Quillard after hearing Sanji say he would rather die than go back to his family. Her lip quivered and she had to take a deep breath to steady herself. “You said two weeks, the given time is up. Why isn’t it working?”

“I don’t know, I don’t normally send people back to their right age! I’ve only done it a few times!” Quillard said, clearly worried he was going to die soon if he didn’t figure it out. Thinking of the only thing that had come to mind, and maybe buy him time to live, he said, “Uhm, maybe it had to be _exactly_ two weeks?”

Robin narrowed her eyes after sniffling. “What do you mean?”

“Like, like uh,” Quillard looked around but found that it was a mistake. He connected eyes with the swordsman, his glare stabbing him in his heart and twisting it. The frilly man clutched his chest as if he truly did have a wound. “I mean wh-what time was it when I used my power on him?” he asked, returning his attention to Robin.

“ONIISAN! ZORO! DON’T YOU WANT ME?”

Robin could hardly hold her own sobs back as she went to Nami’s side. The two of them huddled close together as the brunette explained what Quillard had suggested and then they tried figuring out the time of day it was. Nami had done crazy fast calculations in her head by remembering the time of year it was and where the sun hovered behind those rainy clouds and as she cried, she came to the conclusion that it might work in about an hour and a half from now. Robin nodded and walked past Sanji, Usopp, Zoro, and Luffy to make her way to Quillard. She didn’t want to leak the information of the power to Sanji in case it affected him in any way, even though so much had already been said in front of him.

Quillard nodded at Robin when she told him to try again later and was pushed aside by Chopper who ran across the grass towards Sanji with a syringe in his hooves. 

“DON’T SEND ME BACK! I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE! PLEASE DON’T SEND ME BACK TO THEM! PLEASE!” Sanji cried. 

Luffy had turned his back towards the boy, unable to look at the tears flowing down his face and snot falling into his mouth. Sanji’s face was beyond scared, beyond hurt. Luffy knew Zoro was having an even more difficult time to stay still. He had his hand wrapped in a death grip around Zoro’s bicep to keep him strong and hold his ground. The Straw Hat Captain could feel the man shaking under his hold. Usopp could barely pull the boy away as his strength was sapped from his heavy sobs.

Chopper approached and stuck the syringe into Sanji’s arm, pushing the butt-end all the way in. The blonde let Zoro go and clutched his arm as he pulled away from the needle. “What did you do?”

“Sanji, it’s okay! We’re going to sedate you so we ca-”

“NO!” he screamed. “Why do you want to send me away?! I thought we were friends!” Sanji’s eyelids had a hard time opening the next time he blinked. His head lolled backward as he looked up at Zoro, who still avoided eye contact. “You’re my big brother...and you...want to send me away?”

Usopp had sat back on his butt to watch Sanji’s body sway while the sedative worked through his system. When Sanji began to fall backward, Usopp was there to catch him. “How...could you...abandon me so easily?” was the last thing Sanji managed to murmur before he fell unconscious. 

Once Usopp, Chopper, and Quillard disappeared into the infirmary once again, Zoro ran to the edge of the boat and hurled his breakfast over the railing, his side feeling like it was splitting in two as his retching tested the limits of his stitches. The entire time Sanji pleaded for him, he felt weaker as nausea crept into his belly. He felt sick when he thought about Sanji returning to his abusive family. He held out for as long as possible and was thankful Sanji was carried away when he was because he couldn’t hold back the heave that turned his stomach any longer.

Zoro made a mistake. He had let himself look down at Sanji. It was for less than a second - one measly second - but it was enough to last him a lifetime. Sanji’s face was contorted with torment and that image will forever be burned into Zoro’s mind, haunting him long after Sanji was back to his adult self.


	7. The Past is Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hokay, a quick lil blurb before you get started?  
> I'd like to point out that this fic was marked as a ZoSan from the very beginning, so I hope no one is disappointed when they see where this story is beginning to turn.

_Sanji: Age 7, Germa Kingdom_

Sanji came to, his cheek pressed against the cold flooring. The familiar smell told him he was back in his dreadful bedroom where he disappeared from two weeks ago. At the thought of no longer being with the Straw Hat Pirates, his lip began to quiver and eventually, tears flooded down his face. Sanji cried so hard he had no strength to sit himself up, even when his wailing got the attention of his sister and she burst through his bedroom door. 

“Sanji?!” Reiju yelled in surprise to see her brother after so long. “Wha- where have you been?!” The little pink-haired girl came up next to Sanji. Her blonde brother was slamming his head into the ground over and over, screaming in agony. “We thought you _died!”_

“More like ‘we **_wished_** you died!’” Yonji said, coming through the door, Ichiji and Niji hot on his heels. The three boys were also alerted of their stupid brother’s return when they heard his crying in the castle once again. They wasted no time to race towards him only to continue their tormenting just as they had been the day he left.

Crowding around the blonde, the boys started poking and prodding his sides, asking where he was and why he even bothered coming back. Sanji slowly stood to face his horrible family. Contemplating his answer, Sanji knew he should lie. He should lie to them because it was easier and more believable. If Sanji said he magically was transferred to a pirate ship in the middle of the sea somewhere else in the world where he was able to make new friends and experience new things, his brothers would never let it go and think he was downright crazy.

The thought of lying seemed wrong, though. If he lied, it was almost as if he was denying it ever happened. It was the best thing that had ever happened to him, besides his mom’s love, and the boy refused to deny those two weeks no matter how much hell he was put through. He’d never deny Zoro’s existence.

“I was gone,” Sanji said with a sneer, smacking the invasive hands away from him. “I made friends with pirates.”

The other boys burst into laughter hearing such a preposterous thing. Even Reiju couldn’t hold back a snicker. The name-calling and jokes started up and Sanji shrank into himself, the harsh reality falling over him that he was no longer in a safe place. 

The first few punches to his gut weren’t as painful as he remembered, but as his three brothers continued to kick him when he dropped to the ground clutching his stomach, he tried to remember how amazing it felt to have strong, warm arms wrapped around him in a loving hug.

___

As the days dragged on, Sanji’s brothers didn’t let up on their teasing. They asked for more details about his ‘vacation’ and when Sanji said something new, like one of the crew members being a walking, talking skeleton, the boys roared with laughter again.

“Really! He sang and played so many instruments! He wore a suit and a top hat!”

“God, you’re so stupid, Sanji!” Ichiji said and yanked on the blonde’s hair causing his brother to scream and clutch his head.

“Your stories are soooooo lame! Can’t you think of anything better?” Yonji laughed.

“You don’t have to lie. You can tell us you went into the garden again,” Niji said and pushed Sanji down. 

Sanji fell back onto his bottom and sat there looking up at his family. “I’m not lying!” he shouted at them, angry they’d think he’d make Zoro and the rest of the pirates up. “I made lots of friends and they treated me like their own!”

The blue-haired brother knelt to Sanji’s level and leaned in close. “Oh? If they liked you so much, why did you come back?”

“We don’t want you! You should have stayed if they were so nice!” Yonji said.

Niji stood and moved to the side allowing Ichiji to tower over Sanji. “You sound pathetic.” A fist connected with Sanji’s face.

___

“And then I was chased all over the ship! If I slowed down for even a second, the captain would catch me and tickle me sooooo much I could hardly breathe!” Sanji explained, his eyes wide with happiness. “You believe me, don’t you?” he said and pet the small chipmunk who listened to his endless adventures on the Sunny.

The little critter had come up to Sanji while he was on his way to the garden. His brothers were being especially horrid today so he needed to escape before they did something extra bad. The young chef had made a small thermos of chicken noodle soup and was going to share it with the toads that liked to roam around the veggies so he invited Mr. Chipmunk to join them.

“C’mon, we better get going. Don’t want to keep the others waiting, do we?” Sanji said with a bright smile. He beckoned with his hand for the critter to follow him before turning to walk down the beaten path.

When Sanji faced forward, he ran into Ichiji. “Thought you could run away, huh?” he said and pushed Sanji back a foot. “I said I wasn’t done with you but you still ran.”

“You know you can’t hide from us!” Yonji sneered.

Niji looked over his brother’s shoulders. “We’ll be quick about it.”

“Leave me alone!” Sanji shouted and Ichiji pushed him back again. The blonde made the mistake of looking behind him to be sure he didn’t step on the chipmunk. Yonji followed his gaze and frowned.

“Oh my _god,_ are you seriously talking to animals again? You’re such a loser!”

“What does it matter if I am,” Sanji mumbled and fiddled with the thermos full of soup. _They’re the only friends I have._

The three boys laughed at their oddball brother. “It’s so pathetic!” Niji managed to say between fits of laughter.

“It’s _annoying,_ is what it is,” Yonji said and pushed Sanji aside. When the blonde shouted his protests, the other two held him back. Yonji looked down at the chipmunk, which was cowering in its place, unsure of what to do. As quick as lighting, before the critter could decide to run or not, Yonji stomped on it. There was a small crunch as the bones shattered under the boot. 

Sanji stopped resisting against his brothers and could only stare blankly at the bloody remains that Yonji wiped into the grass. Ichiji and Niji released him, shoving him around until that was boring again, then all three left. Sanji still couldn’t tear his eyes away from the little chipmunk, eventually dropping to his knees as they gave out, unable to hold him up any longer.

Instead of visiting the toads in the garden, Sanji lay down on the path and cried until it was dark out, and even then he didn’t move.

___

“I’m not making it up! It really happened!” Sanji pleaded. It had been months since he was on that pirate ship. Their mom passed away a few weeks ago and it made life harder to deal with for Sanji. He only had one person left that even remotely liked him and even then Reiju had slowly stopped sticking up for him. She said he was bringing it upon himself for making those weird stories up.

The three troublesome brothers brought up the pirate ship event every second they could, taunting Sanji to fight back and get defensive so they could make fun of him and eventually beat him up for being so stupid. 

Reiju pleaded for Sanji to stop saying those things, to stop defending the idea of him meeting pirates and sailing the open sea. She said it would be easier for him! But Sanji refused. He didn’t want to let that memory go, even after so long. As the months went by and Sanji still insisted on his story, Reiju basically gave up and turned away when her three aggressive brothers stomped on Sanji’s face for being a liar.

“You’re crazy!” his brothers would say, and at this point, Sanji was starting to believe them. He had checked over his body to see if any marks would prove he was there, but they took such good care of him! His body was clean of wounds! At least, it was until he came back to his wretched family again. Now his body was once again littered in bruises and cuts.

After four months of Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji telling Sanji he was batshit insane, they complained to their father that their brother was losing his mind.

“And he keeps saying there was a deer or something that could _talk_ and walk on its hind legs! I’ve never heard of that!”

“Even with the family’s super-science, I don’t even think that could happen! He’s such a liar!” 

“Make him stop lying to us, father! I hate him!”

It was then that Judge sent the final word of putting a caged helmet to cover Sanji’s head and lock him away in their dungeon. It was safer to have him separated away from his kids - his good kids - the ones he wanted. He, too, thought his blonde son had died and was a bit disappointed when he learned the damn kid had come back.

Even in the depths of the castle, all alone in the dark, Sanji refused to let the memory of Zoro leave his mind. _It happened! It was real! I know it was!_ He thought to himself over and over. The only thing that _didn’t_ feel real was the fact that they sent him away. _Why did they have to do that? They liked me, didn’t they? Oniisan really liked me, I know he did. I was a good little brother, wasn’t I? What did I do wrong? I thought we had fun together._

_I miss him._

___

_Sanji: Age 9, Passenger Ship Orbit_

The kitchen was busy as the chefs around Sanji cooked their asses off to keep up with the dinner crowd on the cruise ship. Sanji peeled potatoes as fast as he could, nicking his fingers once in a while. The kitchen was small and boiling but the job still needed to be done. To ease his bottom from getting numb sitting on a turned over metal wash bin, Sanji had to sway side to side the entire time.

Waiters and waitresses ran in and out of the kitchen to grab the hot food and serve it to the customers that could be heard murmuring beyond the swinging doors. Sanji watched them balance plates with care until they left where he could no longer see them.

He longed to help cook those meals. He’d been on this ship for a few months and they still wouldn’t let him cook anything! It wasn’t fair! The boy felt he had gotten pretty good at cooking and tried to prove himself more than once but when he was caught in front of a stove, the head chef knocked him over the noggin with a wooden spoon and told him to get back on spud duty or to bus more tables.

The ship Sanji was on before this one let him do _lots_ of cooking! He had begged to be part of the kitchen crew. It was the same boat he’d climbed aboard after his sister helped him escape a few years ago. That ship was his first new home. His heart ached to remember how pirates took it over and he only just barely managed to sneak overboard before he, too, died at their hands.

It was so scary! The pirates he met when he was younger were nothing like that. They were so caring and fun and nice and - and - _and mean!_ They sent him back to his horrible family, is what they did! 

Sanji knew he couldn’t keep that mindset, they _must_ have had a reason. There was no way those nice pirates he stayed with sent him back to be mean. There was just no way! He specifically remembered the warm and loving hugs he’d get from everyone any time he wanted! And every night he was allowed to sleep with his favorite person ever! _No, no way they sent me away to be mean…_

Those weird things they were saying before they forced him back to his home still stuck with him. They had said something about returning to his adult self? Called him ‘big Sanji’ and said they were going to miss him, but also see him again soon? It was so strange that he couldn’t get those sentences out of his head. 

But that was years ago. They probably forgot about him. He was just a stupid little kid and they were done with him so they sent him away, sent him back to his family. Luckily, he didn’t have to stay there much longer and he was able to start his life as a young chef!

“Oi! Watch what you’re doing, idiot!” one of the cooks yelled and bonked Sanji on the head. 

Sanji shook the memories from his mind and saw that the bucket of potatoes in front of him was overflowing. A few had tumbled out and rolled in various directions of the kitchen. Sanji looked around and saw a waiter had slipped on one and fell right onto his back. The boy made a scared face and apologized.

“Don’t waste food! We’re seafaring cooks! You never know what may happen out here. Now pick those potatoes up and rinse them off!”

As he stood to bring the potatoes to the sink, Sanji thought about Zoro and how he had forced him to eat all his food, to never waste a single crumb.

___

_Sanji: Age 10, Somewhere in the East Blue_

Sitting atop a barren rock with another pirate, Sanji looked out into the vast, open sea. It had been weeks since they washed ashore here and he was _starving._ The sharp rock had no vegetation on it and only a few shallow puddles that held little seawater in them. The pirate he was stuck here with had given him a small bag of food and he was supposed to make it last until they were rescued. But when would that be?

He needed to survive so one day he could find the All Blue, a magical place he learned of a few months ago, and to meet back up with a certain group of pirates. He couldn’t remember their crew name, it was too long ago.

Luffy was the captain, he could remember that. He was such a weird person. His body could stretch and no matter how many times Nami hit him over the head, it didn’t seem to hurt him. His laugh was distinctive. Contagious, even. When you heard Luffy laugh or saw him smile, you wanted to join him.

 _There was a skeleton, too. And a big robot man!_ Sanji thought to himself. He smiled as he pushed a small pebble around in a puddle. _A little deer that had a medical license, too. He was really nice._

Sanji lined up rocks in a small arc around him as he sat on his bottom with his knees brought to his chest. The biggest rock was supposed to be Franky. The two smallest rocks represented him and Chopper. He scooted those rocks close to one that he scratched three lines into. That one was Zoro.

_Zoro. My favorite one. Would he remember me if we ever met again? Would he even care to see me after sending me away?_

___

Two and a half months passed and Sanji and the other man, Zeff he learned his name to be, were still abandoned on the rock. Sanji had grown so weak. His body barely able to hold himself up anymore, he laid over the pointy ground and was sure to keep his eyes focused on the water. He had to be at the ready if even a speck appeared on the horizon. 

The sun beat down on the boy, drying his skin out more than the salty sea ever could. The once pale skin was now reddened and sizzled under the harsh rays of heat. Sanji didn’t care anymore. As long as he survived, he didn’t care if his skin burned clean off. He had to find the All Blue and meet those pirates again. Even if his skin melted away and his bones became visible, he’d have to hold on just a little longer...

The All Blue... _such a cool place,_ Sanji day-dreamed. _What if you made a restaurant right on the All Blue and served all those different types of fish to customers? I bet Luffy would like that. He loves any food._

 _Would Zoro like it? Does he like all kinds of fish?_ Sanji made sure to remember to ask the swordsman if they ever crossed paths again.

___

_Sanji: Age 17, The Baratie_

Leaning against the railing on the top deck, Sanji watched the morning sun begin to rise. The breeze was cool against his face as he sucked on his cigarette and blew smoke into the air only for it to smack back against him in the wind. 

Sanji looked forward to his time alone on the deck before the shift started in the bustling restaurant below. It gave him time to think about his life and how it had all turned out. Each day he silently thanked his adoptive father for taking him in instead of letting him fend for himself that day they were saved. 

He still remembers the way Zeff looked at him when he began to walk away. The rough, starving pirate who looked like he could snap in half if someone looked at him wrong had turned on his new pegleg, something the ship that saved them gifted him after properly treating it, and smiled. Sanji cried as he ran into the man’s arms and the rest was history.

The Baratie was everything he could have ever wanted. He had long forgotten of the All Blue and instead focused his life around becoming the head chef, even if the current one had no intention of retiring any time soon. It didn’t matter to Sanji. It was his goal to take this restaurant over and make it his own. He was proud of the man he had become, the man Zeff raised him to be.

A cawing noise sounded above him. It was a bird bringing the morning paper. When it landed next to Sanji, the man took one of the copies and fished in his pocket for a few coins in return. The bird cooed in satisfaction as Sanji gave a few good strokes to its back before it spread its wings, flapping them harshly to take off.

Sanji gave another hard pull on his cigarette before untying the rubber band from around the paper. When he opened it up, the few Wanted posters slipped to the floorboards as they came loose from the middle of the folds. When they dropped, they revealed a name in the paper that Sanji had eventually believed he made up. He hadn’t heard this name in years _._ Ten years, actually.

“Holy goddamn shit,” he muttered, his cigarette bouncing on his lips and eventually falling to the deck below. Sanji couldn’t read the article fast enough as he could barely believe his eyes. 

**_Man Takes Law Into His Own Hands! Roronoa Zoro and His Rising Fame!_ **

_There is a new unofficial sheriff in town! As the age of pirates continues to grow, the crime rate rises just as high! One man from East Blue has decided to step up and take matters in his own hands - or swords, we should say!_

_Roronoa Zoro, or as we deemed him: The Pirate Hunter, has been turning pirates in left and right, cleaning various towns up of their heinous antics! The Marines can’t thank him enough and are glad that someone has the gull to stand up to those nasty brutes! We tried interviewing The Pirate Hunter himself but he threatened to take our heads off! We were sure it was a joke, but on the off chance it was not, we didn’t press our luck._

_The only thing we managed to find out about Roronoa is that he wields three swords, the strange sword style called_ Santoryu, _and is only seventeen-years-old! The rest is still unknown but we applaud him none-the-less!_

_We’re cheering for you, Roronoa Zoro! Keep taking down those pirates and making this world that much safer! We can’t wait to see how many pirates you bring down!_

Sanji finished reading and returned to the picture of Zoro at the top of the page. It was a bad shot. It must have been taken while Zoro was moving. The image wasn’t in color and the quality was grainy. Sanji thought they must have taken the picture from afar and zoomed in on his face to get the best shot.

Even though it was only the side of his face, it was still Zoro. Sanji would recognize him anywhere. The man was frozen in time in the picture, his mouth turned into a sneer towards something the camera didn’t show. Sanji laughed to himself as he thought how lucky the paper had been to catch Zoro’s good side, as the other would have the swordsman’s permanently closed eye. He looked slimmer in the picture, too, and Sanji wondered if Zoro dropped some weight?

 _Hold on, the paper said he was seventeen? How is that possible?_ **I’m** _seventeen._

_____

_Sanji: Age 19, The Baratie_

It was a beautiful day out on the East Blue sea and the Baratie was so _goddamn_ busy since all the pussy wait-staff jumped ship yesterday. The chefs had taken turns going out and bussing tables, refilling drinks, and taking orders. Sanji had been out on the floor a lot longer than he normally liked to be, but what else could he do?

The ship shook as a loud crash sounded above. The customers gasped with fear, voicing their opinion of what the noise could have been, some even asking what was going on as Sanji passed by their table. Knowing the sound came from somewhere around the living quarters, Sanji shrugged and continued pouring wine for a beautiful woman.

The woman was on a date with a shit marine and he was trying way too hard to impress her. It was embarrassing, but whatever. He smiled at the woman some more but when the marine got an attitude and insulted his chef’s food, well, he couldn’t idly stand by any longer. He had a reputation to keep.

After giving the marine a good beat down, he was about to give him the finishing blow when his head chef and an unknown boy fell from the ceiling and into the restaurant.

“Oi! Stop attacking the customers!” Zeff shouted at him when he got to his feet and hit him over the head with his wooden leg.

Sanji yelled back and the two fought while everyone stared. Then Zeff turned around and kicked the marine clean into next week telling him to leave the building because he sucked as a customer. As the marine licked his wounds and shook his fist at them, Sanji heard laughing next to him.

“Shishishi, this is a madhouse!” the boy said. _That laugh..._ Sanji cocked his head as he looked at the guy thinking he looked vaguely familiar. Especially that straw hat…. _could that be…?_

A gunshot had gone off tearing Sanji’s attention away. There was a pirate at the door and he was asking for food. When Patty refused to feed him and threw him out onto the open deck, Sanji did what he knew he had to do: feed him anyway.

Following the pirate named Gin, he set a plate down for him to eat. Gin greedily took the plate and shoveled the food in his mouth as he cried tears of joy. Sanji smiled around his cigarette as the pirate thanked him over and over.

“I found my cook!” a voice above him had said. Sanji looked up to see that straw-hatted boy again. His smile was wide and kind. It looked just like Luffy but the kid looked young as if he hadn’t seen anything in the world beyond his own backyard. The captain he knew had history behind his eyes and his face wasn’t as rounded as this guy’s was. The boy talked to Gin while Sanji continued to contemplate if that really was Luffy or not.

“And who are you?” Sanji interrupted, his curiosity getting the better of him. The boy jumped over the railing and stood in front of Sanji looking down at him with a grin wider than seemed possible. He puffed his chest and the chef couldn’t help but notice there wasn’t a hint of a pink scar peeking over the top of his red vest. _Can’t be him. I remember Luffy having a thick X marking his chest._

“Name’s Monkey D. Luffy! I’m going to be King of the Pirates!” Sanji’s jaw dropped to the floor. “Join my crew!”

___

Sanji looked into the restaurant from inside the kitchen. Peering through the round window in the swinging doors, he looked at the table that sat three very familiar pirates. _How is that them?_ Sanji thought as he squinted his eyes. When his gaze fell upon seafoam green hair, his heart hammered in his chest.

After all these years, Roronoa Zoro was right there in the restaurant he worked at. His idol, the man he looked up to since he was seven-years-old. The coolest guy he knew was less than fifty feet away. Sanji took a deep breath to ease his nerves and shoved his shaking hands into his pockets.

Zoro laughed while talking to Usopp and Nami, Luffy just now approaching and joining their conversation. _Why do they look so..._ **young?** Sanji asked himself. It's been twelve years since the last time he saw these pirates and yet it was so wrong. Luffy didn’t bear an X-shaped scar on his chest, Zoro had both eyes open, Nami’s bust was _tiny,_ and Usopp was so gangly! _What the hell is going on?! Where are the rest of them? Chopper, Franky…?_

Trying to remain calm, Sanji entered the seating area and did what he would do when he saw any other beautiful woman gracing his presence.

“HELLO, MY DEAR DARLING! SUCH BEAUTY YOU GRACE US WITH!” He cooed and twirled his way towards the red-head named Nami. As he was struck smitten with hearts in his eyes, he introduced himself to see what she thought at the mention of his name. When she gave no recognition, he looked to the other three and saw they, too, didn’t seem to remember him. Usopp politely introduced himself, Luffy picked his nose, and Zoro...Zoro didn’t even look his way.

 _Wow. That...hurt more than I thought it would,_ Sanji said in his head. A dull ache in his chest grew but he pushed it down while he feigned ignorance of previously knowing the Straw Hat Pirates.

___

The days passed and Sanji still couldn’t seem to wrap his head around the idea that these were actually the Straw Hat Pirates. Randomly asking questions to get more information, he was surprised to learn that Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brook hadn’t joined their crew yet, it was only these four. He also saw their ship was smaller. 

At night, Sanji spent hours trying to remember what Usopp had said before he reappeared in his bedroom in the Germa Kingdom. _He said something along the lines of, “We get to see big Sanji now!” and Zoro had said he would see me soon, too. What did that mean? Who was ‘big Sanji’ and why did they say that more than once? And Chopper had tried to hide it from me, I remember! He said he didn’t want to...he didn’t want to what? Meddle with something…_

That day a giant pirate ship had docked and it was Gin who brought it there. The captain of the ship, Don Krieg, had declared war on The Baratie and demanded Zeff turn the ship over, but Luffy was offended that the Don wanted to find the One Piece, so Luffy dueled him. Sanji had never seen Luffy in action before and he was _amazing._ His determination ran deep through his veins and fueled him to stand back up each time he was knocked down. It was admirable.

Not before a new pirate showed up. A small raft no larger than a rowboat had casually joined their waters, it held a single man. Sanji heard his name only one time in his life before and only just now remembered he existed when he saw Zoro tense up next to him, his tanned knuckles turned sheet-white as they gripped the railing on the edge of the deck.

The swordsman jumped ship to stand on even ground with the Warlord named Dracule Mihawk. Sanji’s heart began to race as he scrambled through his mind to remember how the Warlord and Zoro were connected. It was as if it were right there and he could grab the memory but at the last second, it moved just out of his reach, leaving him unable to connect the names.

Luffy stood next to him and watched on as Zoro battled Mihawk. The duel was easily one-sided and Sanji wondered why the hell Zoro didn’t just give up! He was going to die! Sanji didn’t want him to die before he even got to explain who he really was! Maybe if he told Zoro about the time they shared twelve years ago, he would remember? And then Sanji could see him give that special smile that he only shared with him. Maybe then he could reach out and touch those earrings that he loved to hear chime together…

The small knife Mihawk had been using to defend himself was shoved into Zoro’s chest where his heart sat. Sanji gripped the wooden railing and was going to rush to his side but Luffy didn’t make a move to save him, so he stayed, too. He had to trust Luffy, he was Zoro’s captain after all.

Seeing Zoro get stabbed felt as if the pain had transferred right to Sanji’s gut. His stomach twisted into knots as he watched Zoro get hurt. When Sanji thought it was finally done and the idiot would retreat, he saw him hold his arms out to the sides and puff his chest out to Mihawk. Nervously, Sanji looked to Luffy who also seemed confused at the strange display.

It was then that Dracule Mihawk yanked his enormous black blade off his back and arced it high above him, only to slash it down across Zoro’s front, sending him flying into the ocean and staining it red.

That was it. That was the memory Sanji had been reaching for. The memory was as clear as he was seeing the events in front of him now.

_“How did you get this scar, Zoro?” I asked, touching over the bumpy, ragged mark._

_“Lost a duel.”_

_“Will you tell me about it?”_

_Zoro sighed into my ear. “Sure. If you promise to sleep!” I nodded my head against him as I agreed to the promise. “I got this scar the day we met yo-” Zoro stopped for a moment, “The day we met a certain chef.”_

_“A chef?! Was he any good?” I asked, completely unaware of the connection until now._

_“The best,” Zoro said. “The day we met him, a Warlord visited. His name’s Dracule Mihawk, and he currently holds the title of the World’s Greatest Swordsman. But I wanted that title. Still do. So I challenged him, but I wasn’t strong enough. Compared to him, I was nothing. An ant to a god. Mihawk swung his mighty sword down across my chest, slicing me wide open.” Zoro made a diagonal motion across his front as I watched in awe._

Sanji blinked as the memory ended. _Zoro told me that story when I was only seven, yet it only_ **_just now_ ** _happened, right here in front of me._

The chaos broke loose, then, and Sanji barely had time to think about the situation. Luffy had launched himself over to fight Don Krieg and Sanji had to help defend The Baratie against the rest of the pirates. When it was all over, Gin made everyone retreat, and Zoro was long gone, then Sanji was again asked if he would join The Straw Hat Pirates by Luffy.

Of course he wanted to join up with them! He dreamed of it since he was a kid. But he also dreamed of finding the All Blue since he was a kid, and he left that dream to die. He had to think of his future! One day he was going to take over this restaurant to prove to Zeff that he could become a great chef, that all his hard work into raising him wasn’t for nothing. He had to repay him for the food...he’ll never be able to repay him for the food…

The Baratie chefs, including Zeff, had all but physically thrown him out just so he would go with Luffy on his adventure to become The Pirate King. Since this crazy rubber kid was going to chase his impractical dream, hell, then why shouldn’t he?

“I’ll join you.”

___

_Sanji: Age 19, Whiskey Peak_

Sanji held his head, sitting up on the top deck of the Going Merry. Nami had hit him and Usopp in the noggin for asking too many questions. He was confused about why they left such a wonderful town that greeted them like old friends! They had such a wonderful time, good food, music, drinks... _and the ladies!_ The ladies were to die for! Sanji knew that Nami had a good time, too, so why were they aboard the ship and ready to set sail? _Why are we leaving?_

There was a slender woman, a stranger, sitting on the railings next to him. So aloof as she looked down at the rest of the crew. Although, despite her casual demeanor, she oozed of a threat and it caught Sanji off guard. He stumbled to his feet and grabbed the first thing next to him - a gun.

Pointing it straight at the woman’s face, Ms. All Sunday according to Ms. Wednesday, Sanji saw how the device shook in his grip. _I’ve never used a gun before and I’ve also never harmed a woman before!_ He thought to himself. _But she snuck up on me! That island of fun threw me off my game!_

“Oi, do you even know what you’re doing with that thing?” Usopp whispered over to him from the opposite side of Ms. All Sunday. The sniper held the rubber band on his slingshot taught, waiting for the signal to blast the woman in the face with whatever concoction he made up. Usopp held his weapon with sureness, his hands steady enough to perform the most intricate of surgeries. 

Not Sanji. His heart pounded against his chest and his breathing was ragged. There was no going back after pointing a gun at someone’s face, but he didn’t want to hold it there anymore. He’d rather perish than harm a lady.

_And Zoro’s right there, too. How can I show weakness in front of someone so strong?_

Hands popped up from the railing and pushed Sanji and Usopp over the edge, forcing them to crash down to the main deck. Everyone was yelling about her having Devil Fruit powers but all Sanji could think of was how it was a familiar feeling. _Sprouting hands?_

_A laid back woman, dark skin, dark hair, magical powers that allowed limbs to grow in places they shouldn’t? Doesn’t that sound like…?_

“Oh my GOD, she’s BEAUTIFUL!” Sanji yelled at the top of his lungs. He had turned around to see if it was Nico Robin and was blinded by her youthful glory. _She’s just as gorgeous as the day I met her!_

Weeks had passed since Sanji had joined the crew, and with it, he was starting to come to some conclusion of what the strange happenings around him meant. He wasn’t dumb, so he knew it wasn’t just his imagination or that he had dreamt it all up. That would have been _one helluva dream_ if he did. Predicting the future? As if.

No, it was something else going on. Something Sanji had kept to himself despite how much he wanted to ask the other Straw Hats about it. Over time, he’d been alone with each one of them and asked different questions to try and further gauge what the _fuck_ was happening. 

Sanji learned that Luffy only started his voyage less than a month before he met Sanji himself. Zoro was a bounty hunter and that’s why he saw him in the paper, and he really was only nineteen - the same age as Sanji! Nami was eighteen which seemed wrong because when he was seven years old...she was more mature! And her breasts... _well they’re quite small right now, aren’t they? Surely she wouldn’t get rid of them?_

Sanji had learned to keep his mouth shut about what happened when he was a child. For now, he would live his life like he normally would. Even if they didn’t remember him, he could make new memories! Ones that would last a lifetime!

Shaking him from his thoughts, a crunch of glass to his right brought him back to the present. Luffy had crushed an Eternal Pose in his hand and shouted that Robin didn’t decide where they sailed. Sanji wanted to ask why he was so mad at her when she was only trying to help, but the woman laughed and jumped ship onto her giant sea turtle... _what the hell is going on? Where is she going? Isn’t she a part of this crew, too?_

_They kept calling her Ms. All Sunday and not by her real name. The crew, including Ms. Wednesday, don’t know her real name, apparently. I know it, but I don’t think I should say. Right now, I don’t think it’s time to expose myself._

_____

_Sanji: Age 19, The Adventures of Water 7 and Enies Lobby_

_How could Usopp and Robin leave the crew? They were so happy when I first met them, so content to live on the Sunny…_

_Speaking of, the poor Going Merry…_

Sanji felt a tear roll down his cheek at the thought of Merry on her last limbs of timber. Usopp was right to feel heartbroken over leaving her behind, but a broken ship won’t carry the rest of the nakama to the ends of the world. _We’d only be hurting her more if we continued our journey on her back, we have to let her go._

It hurt to see such turmoil in the crew, especially when this rag-tag family was growing so beautifully. Chopper and Robin were the newest additions and it felt _so right_ to have them by their sides.

_When I was seven, two more people were in the crew. Well, are they even people? A walking, talking skeleton and a robot man. If we’re not done growing, how could two of the current crew leave now?_

The newest problems for the Straw Hats had Sanji in a constant state of confusion. His time with the Straw Hats - _as a Straw Hat himself! -_ became months now and he couldn’t have been happier. No matter what problem they faced, they beat it down in the ground and then some. Sanji was born to be with this crew. This was his new life and his new family and he’d never let them go. Robin and Usopp have no choice but to come back, and he’d make sure of it. He’d sacrifice his life for his crew if he had to.

___

The giant sheet covering their new ship was pulled away and Sanji almost fell backward onto his ass at the grand sight. There she was, The Thousand Sunny. It had been too long since the last time Sanji had seen her and she was more beautiful than he remembered. The rest of the Straw Hats were hooting and hollering, but Sanji was too busy reminiscing to jump up and down. A wave of nostalgia washed over him, pulling him towards the ship.

When Franky finally accepted their invitation to join the crew, everyone raced to explore the ship. It was fun to hear everyone so happy, he was experiencing their reactions first-hand. He had to hide the fact that he knew where everything was already. All the rooms he’d run through with Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp chasing after him, all the secret hiding places that Franky pointed out that not even Usopp knew of, and all the places he spent sleeping curled up with Zoro.

 _Zoro,_ Sanji thought with a warm smile. Over to his right, said meat-head was running his hands over the pristine white railing, a faint grin on his face. It wasn’t much, but Sanji knew Zoro quite well, knew that small smile actually meant so much more.

“Like it, lil bro?” Franky asked him, pulling his attention from the swordsman. 

“More than you could know,” Sanji said with a laugh at his inside joke. Now that they had a few minutes to breathe, he looked Franky up and down before saying, “So you're a cyborg and _not_ a robot man?”

The other let out a loud laugh, clutching his belly. “Yup! Part human, part machine! It's _suuuuper_ cool because I get to make customizations or upgrades whenever I want.”

Without realizing what he was doing, Sanji had stepped forward and pressed on Franky's metal nose. 

“Uhm, lil bro? What are you doing?”

Sanji froze, his fingertip still against the metal. “Oh, I - I thought for some reason your hair would change if I did that,” He said shyly and pulled his hand away with embarrassment.

The cyborg cupped his chin in thought. “Definitely doesn't do that but that's a damn good idea,” he said and wandered off muttering to himself.

Pretending he didn’t already know the kitchen, Sanji explored the galley for the umpteenth-time. Unable to help himself, he looked to the counter and saw there was a small carving missing in the wood. A tingle ran up Sanji’s spine as he remembered how mad Zoro was at him for taking his pocket knife. He couldn’t help let an amused chuckle escape his mouth thinking back on that day.

Absentmindedly thumbing the wood where the drawing of _Santoryu_ should have been, Zoro walked in.

“Whoa, this is huge,” he grumbled, looking around.

“Isn’t it?” Sanji asked excitedly, his smile wider than his face. “It will fit everyone perfectly.” _I know it will._

“You look happy about it.”

Sanji nodded his agreement. “I am.”

“Like when you talk about All Blue,” Zoro said with a soft smile. Sanji turned his head away to hide his creeping blush. “And the kitchen looks like it’s big enough to fit your giant ego, too,” Zoro chuckled, craning his neck over the bar only to turn with a mischievous grin at Sanji. _“Currrrly.”_

“You _motherfucker,”_ Sanji growled with no bite, but still arced his foot to slam it over Zoro’s fat head, and when the other jerked out of the way to pull a sword out, Sanji could hear the faint chime of the three golden earrings clinking together.

___

_Sanji: Age 19, Thriller Bark_

The sun was finally out again. It had only been a short time without it, but Sanji _relished_ it. His skin prickled as the rays warmed his fair skin. As he looked over to see his crewmates alive and well, he couldn’t help but notice how the sun reflected off Zoro’s face, too. The swordsman didn’t wear a smile, as if that was anything new, but he looked content. It was his little way of showing his happiness. Sanji liked that look on him. 

They all fought well to get their shadows back and as a result, the crew was _exhausted._ That didn’t even cover how Luffy felt right now! The poor captain was passed out cold somewhere - but it didn’t matter. Sanji smiled knowing their last crew member was safely with them. _We made it._

_After all these years, we made it. My nakama, my life...we’re all together again._

A shadow loomed above them. Nami was shaking. “I forgot to tell you guys! Another Warlord showed up!”

Everyone whipped their heads up towards a castle wall and saw a monstrously large man, just as intimidating as Moria. They had worked so hard together, Luffy had done so much for them, and yet the fight still wasn’t over! It wasn’t fair! They only just now started to relax and then another threat shows up to crush it! _I won’t have this! I have to do something! Something to help my family!_

But it was Zoro who stepped forward. The green-haired man shouted at everyone to get back because the Warlord challenged _him_ and no one else! “It would be humiliating if you butted in to save me. I can do this on my own. If I die here, then I wasn’t worth much to begin with!”

And with that, the battle began. With every inch of Devil Fruit power that missed Zoro, Sanji felt him suck in a breath through his teeth. _Could Zoro still die? It’s not possible, right?_

 _I saw him! He was older! They were all older! This can’t be where Zoro dies. It’s not adding up,_ Sanji thought to himself. The longer he had spent with the Straw Hats, the more he realized what happened when he was seven had to do with ‘time-traveling’ of some sort. Were Luffy and the rest time travelers and Sanji got sucked up into their quest? If that was the case, wouldn’t they of known him from the beginning, then?

 _Or do they_ **know** _and they couldn’t say because that messes timelines up? That’s the same reason I haven’t been saying anything to anyone about it, I don’t want to mess anything up. I’ve been trying to live my life without bringing up those two weeks when I was a kid...are the rest of the crew doing the same thing towards me? Do they remember me? What place in time does this moment right here happen?_

“Argh!” 

Sanji was snapped from his thoughts to see Zoro clutching at his arm. While dodging the Warlord’s attack, he fell straight into a sharp rock, it piercing through his skin. Since that day on The Baratie until now, Sanji knows that’s not enough to kill Zoro. It will never be enough. He’s indestructible. _How could I ever doubt his strength?_

Now Kuma, the Warlord, had taken Franky out, repelling him into a wall without even touching him. Sanji could feel his body shaking because when he looks back at the fight, Zoro is out of breath and looking more worn than not. As Zoro fights for their lives, Luffy is still knocked out behind them.

How could they always do this, always rely on only Luffy? _Aren’t we strong enough to take this guy down, too?_ Sanji looked around hoping to miraculously find the answer written on a fallen piece of paper, but there’s nothing. Just Zoro’s grunts, heavy footsteps, and the sound of steel grating against each other. 

Zoro is on all fours now, panting tirelessly. _He’ll get back up, right? Keep fighting until Kuma is defeated? This is the Moss we’re talking about, he’s stronger than this...right?_

The Warlord towers over Zoro’s small body and waits only a moment before raising his hand to use his repelling power on him. Zoro doesn’t seem to be able to move because the hand is pushing down at an alarming speed! _He won’t make it in time!_ Sanji screamed in his head.

The blonde intervened by kicking out his right leg, _“Concasser!”_ he yelled as he slammed his foot into Kuma’s face. When the side of Sanji’s shoe met flesh, vibration sent throughout his entire body, shattering the bones in his foot. Crying out in pain, he is left to clutch at his leg, cradling it for comfort. Zoro is more than pissed, screaming at him to stop butting in, but he can barely hear any of it, the pain is too much. _Is he made of fucking steel?! My_ concasser _had no effect at all on him!_

Kuma asked for Luffy’s head in exchange for their lives. It was funny if he thought for even a moment that anyone here would give in to that. Maybe some of the islanders, but never a Straw Hat. Luffy is not just their captain, he’s not just the leader or the protector. Luffy is their family, _their nakama._ And Sanji would be damned to ever let a shitty government dog take him away. 

A pressurized explosion went off, big enough to topple most of Thriller Bark. Rubble was shattered everywhere as Kuma let off a compressed bomb in hopes to kill everyone, and it almost did. Sanji could hear the giant man stepping on the stones and rock as he walked forward. If only he had the strength to stand up and continue the fight.

To everyone’s luck, Zoro _did_ have more strength. Sanji could hear his swords swipe through more steel and Kuma hesitating in his spot. _Maybe he did it? Maybe Kuma is…?_

“Are you a cyborg?!” he heard Zoro yell.

The two went back and forth of what Kuma is and how he was made and who he was made for but it didn’t matter in the end because the giant still asked for Luffy’s head. Sanji may have heard wrongly, but he could have sworn he heard the swordsman offer his own life in place... _no, haha, that’s impossible! Zoro can’t die. Zoro can’t die, I won’t let him. He’s the best friend I wished I had growing up. My life would have been a hell of a lot more fun if I had a rival like him around. I’ll die before I let him die!_

“Idiot, what about your dream? To be the greatest swordsman in the world?! How can you do that if you’re dead!”

“Stay out of this!” Zoro growled. He was sitting back on his heels, no doubt in a begging position for Kuma. Sanji’s heart ached to see him stoop to such a level for his nakama.

“No! As if I’d let you die!” Sanji shouted over his shoulder as he passed the swordsman and put himself between the two. “You,” he said, pointing a shaking finger at the Warlord. “Take my life. I may not be worth something now, but believe me, I’ll be causing more trouble than anyone here! You’ll be doing good to rid of me!”

It was easy to pledge his life over Zoro’s, over the rest of his crewmates. Who was Sanji Blackleg, anyway? Who cared if he died. As long as Kuma thought he was worthy enough to take and to leave the rest of the island alone, then hell, Sanji would give his life ten times over if he could. But he only had one life.

 _It was a good one, honestly._ Sanji pulled a cigarette out, lit it up, and took a deep drag from the end blowing smoke up while Kuma thought his offer over. _It was a good life. Short, but good. I was able to escape my shit home, learn how to cook and prepare meals better than anyone else, I gained a father that raised me to be who I am today, and...and I met these people. Funny, how I finally was able to meet Brook again and now I have to die._

 _Dying is easy, though. And if it’s for them,_ Sanji inhaled the nicotine one last time before it was all over, _and if it’s for Zoro…_

“Hey, Zoro. Give everyone my regards. Sorry that you’ll have to start looking for a new cook,” Sanji blew the smoke out of his lungs.

The hilt of Wado was jammed into Sanji’s side and everything went black.

___

“Where’s the moss?!” Sanji shouted out to anyone who could hear him. “WHERE IS HE?!” he repeated, craning his neck this way and that to spot a flash of green hair. The sound of his voice was being drowned out by everyone celebrating that they were alive still and the second Warlord of the day was defeated.

The blonde ran around the area and overturned boulders and stone walls looking for Zoro. _He has to be around here somewhere! Or did Kuma kill him to take back to the government?!_

Widening his search, Sanji finally saw him. The swordsman was standing alone in a clearing in the forest, his back to him. _Thank god he’s alive!_ Sanji thought and jogged over to see him. _I was so afraid that he died._

“Holy shit! What’s with all the blood?! Are you even alive?!” Sanji shrieked. Approaching, Sanji saw Zoro was covered from head to toe in blood and he wasn’t sure whose it was, but he had to guess at least some of it had to be Zoro’s because the man teetered back and forth trying to hold himself up. “What - what happened here?!”

Zoro’s body trembled and he looked as if he was on the brink of death. Sanji felt tears welling up in the corners of his eyes when the swordsman brushed him off. “Nothing at all,” he muttered and collapsed, the blonde quick to catch him in his arms.

“No, no, no, _no, no!”_ Sanji repeated over and over and pressed two fingers to Zoro’s throat to feel for a heartbeat. It was impossible to search for it when Sanji’s heartbeat and shaking had become so violent he could hardly support Zoro’s weight. “No, please don’t leave me,” he whispered, picking Zoro up and hurrying him to Chopper.

___

The swordsman lay on a bedroll trying to recover while everyone partied around him. Sanji did his best to ignore the anxiety in his chest by cooking anything and everything in front of him. When the food got low, he was quick to cook up some more. It was a task that he could do in his sleep, the best thing he _could_ do to keep himself busy. Zoro hadn’t moved by himself at all since he passed out.

It took all of Sanji’s remaining strength to make it back to everyone with Zoro over his back. He was so tired and his muscles were beyond sore, not to mention mentally and physically hurt because of the marimo’s dumb ass. _How dare he put his life on the line when he had so much to live for._

_Ptsh. Me? A lousy cook who only survived his homelife because his sister took pity on him. What a joke. Even after that, I almost caused someone to starve to death...if I hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have had to eat his own flesh…_

The sound of the piano began playing again as Brook was happy to hear Luffy accepted him as their nakama. Even the self-hatred Sanji was feeling right now couldn’t stop his smile as he watched Brook, Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy being dorks together. Though Zoro is still suffering, it all turned out alright.

When Sanji pulled aside the two pirates that said they saw what happened after he passed out and they told him how Zoro took on all of Luffy’s pain, fully accepting death to protect everyone, Sanji had to hold himself together as tightly as possible. He wanted to gag at the thought of seeing Zoro being tortured within an inch of his life. The swordsman was so strong - Sanji would never have survived that. He really did save his life again.

_Just another thing to be grateful for._

The chef strolled over to the moss-head after he saw Nami leave his side. After plopping down next to him, he struck a match against the bottom of his shoe and lit the end of a cigarette. He silently sat there for a few puffs, then turned to look down on Zoro’s peaceful face, a sight people rarely were able to see.

Sanji smiled and blew a plume of smoke down at the swordsman to see if it would wake him, but the man didn’t so much as crinkle his nose at the smell. “Really knocked out, huh?” Sanji said, talking to Zoro. “Well don’t make it too long. Gotta help me keep that captain safe.”

As Sanji continued to aimlessly talk to his best friend, he had smoked through three or four cigarettes to ease the stress from the day. Deciding it was getting sort of weird to sit next to Zoro for so long, he thought he should head over to the ladies and see if they needed anything from him. Looking around to see if any of his crew’s eyes were on him, Sanji squeezed his hand over Zoro’s. “Get better.”

Just as Sanji was about to sit up, calloused fingers slowly curled around his.

___

_Sanji: Age 21, Reunited at Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 41_

Today marked the day Luffy told everyone to meet back up. Two long years have gone by and Sanji was sure he was bursting at the seams with excitement to see everyone again. 

As he walked around the island and grabbed a bite to eat, he spotted a man freaking out over a missing person.

“He was just right here! Hey, sir, did you see a man with green hair and swords around?!” the fisherman asked Sanji frantically.

“Three swords?” the man nodded. “Did he look like this?” Sanji asked again and pulled Zoro’s wanted poster from his pocket. _No idea why I’m still carrying this damn thing around!_

The fisherman pointed to the left side of Zoro’s face and said, “Yeah, that looks just like him but he’s missing an eye!” 

“Missing an eye, huh?” Sanji said with a smile, chewing on the cake pop he bought. _The time has finally come! The Zoro I remember had a scar across his face._

As if being summoned, a galleon ship just off the coast burst through the water, already split in half. The pirates aboard were moaning and screaming that Roronoa Zoro ruined their journey into the New World but Sanji could hear Zoro plain as day saying they kidnapped him. 

In a flash, the green-haired pirate jumped ship and swam to shore, climbing up the rocky island until he arrived next to the fisherman and the cook.

 _Holy shit,_ Sanji thought as his blue eye scanned the swordsman up and down. The cake pop fell to the ground as his grip loosened around the stick, landing next to a polished shoe.

There Zoro was, just as he truly remembered him when he was a child. Threateningly large muscles and a scowl deeper than the new scar across his left eye. A little taller, a shit ton wider, and hella grumpier. That’s the Zoro he remembered!

But what he _didn’t_ remember was how absolutely _hot_ he had become. Sanji forcefully closed his mouth when he realized his jaw had basically hit the ground. _Zoro is hot._

“The hell you lookin at, Curly?” Zoro grumbled, shaking the water from him like a dog and then running his fingers through his wet hair. Sanji could have sworn it all happened in slow motion, locking him in a daze, but the chime of three earrings knocking together broke him from his trance.

The blonde wanted to touch those earrings. He brought his hand up to do so only to stop halfway, forgetting that Zoro didn’t go through a two-year sensitivity training session - only he did. Instead, Sanji pointed a finger at the eye that was glued shut. “What happened here?”

Reciprocating the action, Zoro pointed to Sanji’s fuzzy chin, “What happened here... _Number Seven.”_

___

To say that everyone was happy to see each other again was an understatement. The stories went on and on as each Straw Hat wanted to tell everyone what they had been doing for the last two years. As they descended the ocean on their way to Fishman Island, the pirates gathered in the galley at the table as Sanji prepared everyone’s favorite dishes.

Sanji’s time away from his _nakama_ was hard on him, as he was sure it was hard on everyone else, but just one look around the table told him it was well worth it. Everyone had grown so much, learned new things about themselves. It gave Sanji a sense of pride in the crew he was a part of. 

It was also eerie to see everyone the _real_ way he remembered them. Robin’s and Nami’s hair had grown so much longer, it accentuated their true beauty! Nami had matured and Robin was more talkative than what she used to be. Franky was _huge!_ Over time, Sanji had figured he only remembered the cyborg being so large because he was just a kid, that there was no way such a huge person could fit on the Sunny! Here he was though, fitting just fine! It was like he memorized Sunny’s measurements and constructed himself to fit her perfectly. He _is_ the best shipwright there is, you know. 

Then there was Brook who seemed even _cooler,_ and not in the way when the fame goes to your head, not at all. Fame looked _good_ on Brook, and as a kid, Sanji never knew that’s why the skeleton was so awesome - because he was a famous rock star! And Chopper and Usopp, grown up all strong and big. Sanji felt that swell in his chest again as he thought of those two like his little brothers that he always had to protect. _Looks like I won’t need to protect them as closely anymore!_

The worst one to notice was Luffy. His cheesy, toothy grin was as wide as the room itself but behind those big, brown eyes was an ocean full of pain. Sanji thought back to the first day he met him and remembered the difference in his face. Not only was it more rounded, but there wasn’t anything behind his eyes besides purity. Currently, his captain was smacking his sandals together and laughing as snot bubbled from his nose, and to anyone besides a Straw Hat, they’d think that idiot rubber kid didn’t have a care in the world - and maybe he didn’t. But now...now there was an aura to him; strong, intimidating, heavy. As if you looked too long and you’d become crushed under his gaze. Luffy had not only grown stronger physically but mentally as well, all from the worst possible reason. Death.

That left one last person at the table, the one person Sanji couldn’t stop thinking about each and every agonizing day on that damned island with Ivankov. _Where is Zoro? What is Zoro doing today? Is he well?_

All of those questions were answered. The swordsman was sent to a creepy island with none other than Dracule Mihawk himself, and Zoro was able to train under him. He didn’t say much else about his time there, but he didn’t have to. Zoro was so muscular, Sanji was sure his _muscles_ had muscles. And he looked _fucking good._ It was hard to turn his attention back to his cooking. The stupid brute marimo was distracting him. Even though he didn’t quite talk much anymore from his hardened personality, Sanji knew the swordsman was just the same inside.

Of course, Sanji knew this because _this_ is the Zoro he met when he was a kid. _We must be getting closer to that time,_ Sanji thought as he took a peek at the wooden counter, seeing if a small carving of _Santoryu_ had shown up yet.

Setting various plates down to their respected parties, Sanji went back into the kitchen to grab the rest. After kicking Luffy in the face a few times to get him to keep his fucking hands to himself, Sanji finally was able to sit down and eat his food, too.

Sanji heard Zoro humming as he ate his food. A blush ran across the cook’s cheeks when he saw how _into it_ he was! It was as if he hadn’t had a decent meal in - _oh. Hadn’t had a decent meal in years…_

“Good, Marimo?” Sanji asked smugly, lighting a cigarette up and blowing smoke across the table towards him.

If the smoke bothered him, it didn’t show, because Zoro’s one good eye slowly closed as he chewed and nodded his head. “The best.”

Hearing those words to describe him _did not make him giddy!_ God, he felt like Chopper right now! Denying his happiness over something like a compliment! “Yeah, yeah, just don’t leave any behind.”

“Like I could. I’ve missed your food. No one makes this shit like you do,” Zoro said after swallowing his mouthful. Sanji choked on his cigarette hearing that as it triggered a memory. 

_The two of us sat on the ground together against a building as we ate our late lunch. I had the biggest bowl of pasta they had and Zoro found some tenmusu. As we ate, Zoro sighed._

_“Don’t you like it, Oniisan?” I asked, slurping a baby octopus leg into my mouth._

_Zoro shook his head. “Nah, it’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just...I’ve had better.”_

_“Better?” I asked._

_Zoro ate his last bite and looked down at me. “Yeah, this is good food, but it ain't the best. Did you know we used to eat the best of the best food every single day on Sunny?”_

_My eyes went big. “Really? Why don’t you anymore?” I asked._

_“We used to have this chef, you see. But he got sick and went away. So now we have to eat whatever Usoppu and Brook cook up. We will get him back, though. He’ll come back. We miss him.”_

_“I want to meet him!”_

Sanji didn’t realize until just now that Zoro never once told him that he would introduce their chef to him. Once he had joined the crew, he assumed he’d eventually meet him but as time went on and things started to fall in place, Sanji realized **_he_ ** was that chef. **_He_ **was the great cook Zoro was talking about.

The look on the swordsman’s face seemed pained and hurt as he ate his street food, but when he talked about the chef that the Sunny used to have, his face lit up. _He was...thinking about me?_

___

_Sanji: Age 21, two weeks ago_

As was normal, the Strawhat Pirates found themselves surrounded by a small fleet of pirates on the vast, ocean blue on this rainy day. The greys of the skies swirled together while it cried, drowning everyone in its tears.

Most everyone was separated onto different ships fighting off the bandits that absolutely picked the wrong crew to rob, leaving only Franky and Usopp to defend The Thousand Sunny. The two made a good team fending off the idiots that dared step foot on their precious wooden nakama. 

Off on the main boat, the one that overshadowed the rest, Luffy was busy punching his fist as far as it would go into the captain’s face. The fleet wasn’t entirely too strong, at least not much of a challenge for the Straw Hats, the only thing slowing them down was their never-ending numbers. It seemed no matter how many enemies they knocked back, thirty replaced them. The pirates jumped from ship to ship to get to Luffy. After all, his bounty had grown mighty high and he was just a kid - how hard could it be to capture the boy with a straw hat?

Even with multiple Devil Fruit users, the fleet’s numbers were slowly being torn down. Left and right, the pirates clashed, but the Straw Hats were winning. Sanji and Zoro were laying waste to a ship together when they encountered a particular Fruit user who seemed over-joyous to go toe-to-toe with Black Leg Sanji and Roronoa Zoro, the infamous Pirate Hunter.

“Oh, how lucky of me that I happen to battle the two of you!” The frilly man shrieked. He was squat, way too fat, and wore frills on every seam of clothes. “I’ve read all about you - and your bounties!”

The Sunny’s cook smirked as he looked over at his partner in crime, but inside he felt something strange. This man seemed so familiar to him... _that outfit is so familiar. What’s with all those frills?_ With a lit cigarette in his hand, he waved the man away. “This the best you’ve got on this ship? If you’re it then we’re moving on to the next one.” Sanji lazily said and turned on his heel to leave, though he knew he’d have to encounter him sooner than later.

“Wait!” The frilly man called out desperately. “Wait, no, you haven’t even seen my power yet!”

Zoro barked a laugh into the rainy sky. “Whatever it is, it won’t be enough.” Sanji had thought that was funny because apparently, _it was enough._

Lightning struck and lit up the deck around them, casting strange shadows every which way. The frilly man looked over at his captain’s ship a few boats down and could visibly see his ass being handed to him. He turned back to the two pirates and swallowed. “I’ll take you both down and then my captain will see how strong I am. He’ll have no choice but to promote me!”

Before retorting a reply, Zoro cut a man down who tried to sneak up on him. “Alright, whatever. Yer the last one left on the ship now, give us your best shot.”

The man perked up with cheer hearing Zoro give him the floor. “I’ve got a nice power, you know! I can mess with time!” He laughed a snorty laugh, one that only overly obese people could pull off. To show as an example, he picked up a fallen sword from his comrade. The metal of the sword immediately turned into rust and became so weak, pieces fell off.

Sanji let out a low whistle. “Wow, nice one.” That earned a chuckle from Zoro. The two shared a look of an agreement to humor the man. “That might just get us, you know.” _And I think it just might,_ Sanji thought again in his head. The moment of clarity dawned on him as if the clouds above had parted ways and the sunshine blinded him - _this is the day. For sure that’s Quillard._

“I know!” He shouted and bounced from one side of the ship to the other. Zoro and Sanji side-stepped a few times to get out of his way, curious to see the extent of his plan. Each time he passed by, he reached out to try and touch either of them, even though he just showed them that his power was touched-based.

Smoking the rest of his soggy cigarette, Sanji gave a side-long glance to his partner and asked, “Is this guy serious?” and proceeded to flick the butt to the floor. _So what happened that day? This lame-excuse for a pirate used his power on me? How the fuck did he manage to get ahold of me in the first place?! There’s no way a noob like this could best me._

“I dunno, but let’s end this. I’m bored and it sounds like Luffy’s having all the fun.” As if on cue, a hoard of screams could be heard from their captain’s direction.

Just then, another ship in the fleet crashed into the side of the one they stood on so hard the mainmast immediately broke and fell into the sea. Piles of men launched themselves off, some threw fire, some had guns, some had weird Devil Fruits. The once boring standoff was now an exciting brawl for the two Straw Hat Pirates once again.

Zoro and Sanji danced around deflecting everything that was thrown at them with ease. Their time spent elsewhere for those two years away showed indefinitely as all of this was barely a challenge.

Dodging and slicing away at his opponents, Zoro strayed further into the mass of people, leaving Sanji’s back vulnerable. The lean cook kicked the other pirates clear into next week, breaking shoulders, shattering jaws, and making sure none of them ever had kids.

Sanji fought off the lesser pirates only to come back to Quillard again. The longer the time went on, rain pelting away at their faces, Sanji just could _not_ understand how someone of Quillard’s shit-status could best him! As he slid side to side to move out of reach of the Devil Fruit user, Sanji stayed stumped from the idea.

 _This is definitely him, though. This is Quillard, the man Zoro almost cut his legs off because of what he did to me when I was a kid._ Sanji remembered the fat man before him sitting on the galley floor, shaking like a leaf as Zoro pointed a sword at him. _If this is the moment in my life where I’m turned into a child, then how in the hell did it happen in the first place?_

A thought struck the blonde. _Wait, hold on._ Quillard growled in frustration as he came so close to smacking Sanji’s shoulder with his open palm. Continuing to effortlessly dodge him, Sanji thought, _what if the only reason this isn’t happening is that...I’m not letting it?_

Another swift dodge to the side and Quillard went tumbling forward, quick to his feet to try again. His breathing was becoming ragged as he tried to keep up with Sanji’s immense speed.

Unsure of how the _hell_ this timeline shit worked, Sanji thought this all had to start with him. It wasn’t up to Zoro or Quillard - it was up to him to make this event in his history happen. So, like any other pirate who learned he traveled through time when he was seven years old, Sanji pretended to make a fiery turn on his heel and feigned slipping on the slick wood of the deck, allowing Quillard plenty of time to jump on him to use his power.

The very last thing Sanji heard before everything went black was Zoro, his partner, his best friend, the greatest human he knew, the absolute love of his life, shouting his nickname he had been given since he was a child.

_“Curly!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was...that okay? Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. I spent a lot of time over the past few days rereading the manga to get some details right before I inserted any Zoro and Sanji moments.


	8. Welcome Back, Sanji!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji is turned back into the adult we all know him as! But...it looks like no one is celebrating his return. What happened while he was gone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while but I returned with 15K words for this chapter for ya! Honestly, it wasn't the length that kept me from updating quicker. It was actually how incredibly hard it was for me to get this chapter right. I feel like I deleted more than I actually typed! I hope it's enjoyable!
> 
> ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

The overpowering smell of rubbing alcohol and a sterilizing sanitizer filled Sanji’s nostrils as he began pulling from unconsciousness. Even from behind closed eyelids, the room was too bright for Sanji’s eyes and he soon realized he had to be in the med bay. With a groan, Sanji brought his hand up to cover his face from the lights.

“You’re awake!” A familiar reindeer’s voice squeaked from the floor. Sanji looked down and sure enough, Chopper was peering up at him with a concerned look on his face. “No, don’t get up yet! You need to rest!” he said when the blonde swung his feet over the edge of the bed. 

Remaining in a sitting position, Sanji saw the Devil Fruit user from the boat he and Zoro were on a few minutes ago. _No, not a few minutes..._ _That must be...shit, this is most likely the point in time where I was turned into a kid._ He returned his gaze to Chopper who was adjusting an IV that Sanji only just now realized was attached to his arm. There was a crease between Chopper’s brows. “Uh...I’ve been gone for a while, right?” he asked Chopper.

The reindeer looked up at him in surprise. “Yes, actually. You were affected by-”

“Time travel, I know,” Sanji said with his hand up to stop him. Finally, he was able to express he’d known all along.

“You - you know?! How…?”

Instead of answering, Sanji instead voiced a concern that was bugging him more than anything. “Are you not happy to see me again?” he asked, slightly worried to hear the answer. Once he realized he had woken up from what was the moment in time he had been missing on the Sunny for a few weeks, he didn’t understand why Chopper looked so upset instead of happy to see him. He didn’t want to sound conceited or full of himself, but surely he was missed, right?

As if on cue, Chopper started balling crying, wailing about how much he was missed, his cooking was amazing, he loved him so much, he is so glad he’s okay, glad he _survived_ and - 

“What?” Sanji asked about the last part.

Chopper stopped his crying, sniffling a little as he wiped his tears on the gown Sanji wore. The doctor glanced over to Quillard before saying, “We’re all glad you’re here with us, is all.”

Unsure of what to make of that, Sanji silently nodded and got to his feet despite the protests from Chopper. Next to him on a chair, he saw he had a freshly pressed suit, shirt, and tie waiting for him, his loafers on the floor. In one swift move, Sanji plucked the needle from his arm then waved his hand towards the door. “Get out,” he growled to Quillard.

Without further prompting, the fat man waddled out of the room and once the door was shut behind him, Sanji dropped his gown to begin putting his suit on.

“How did you know you traveled through time?” Chopper asked again.

Sanji shrugged while he fished his tie around itself in a neat double Windsor knot. “Figured it out over the years.” Once he was fully dressed and slipped into his shoes, he held his arms out for the doctor. “I want to see everyone else.”

For a split second, Chopper had a flash of worry across his face and glanced towards the door, but it was soon replaced by a smile while he giggled with happiness. He jumped into Sanji’s arms and wiggled around as the chef hugged him tightly.

As the two left the infirmary and entered the galley, Sanji immediately noticed the door that led out onto the grassy deck was off its hinges. The closer he walked to the doorway, the more he saw things were wrong. The grass was all roughed up and you could see the dirt below it. It looked like a scuffle took place. Now that Sanji was standing in the doorway, he saw the door was on the ground to the left, sword marks scratched across it. _Zoro._

“SANJI!” his captain yelled. Sanji knew he had less than one second to set Chopper down lest he get caught up in the death-hug, too. Luffy grabbed ahold of Sanji’s shoulders and snapped his body towards him from across the deck. “We missed you!” he yelled in his face.

Sunny's chef couldn’t hold back his smile as his captain continued to squeeze the life out of him. Despite his own laughing, though, the air out here felt strange to him. It felt almost heavy. He didn’t have much time to dwell on it because Nami, Usopp, Brook, and Chopper dog-piled onto him. They all cried their happiness and Sanji was knocked to the ground. Craning his neck from under a boney hip, Sanji looked around the rest of the deck and saw Robin a few feet away patiently waiting her turn like the mature woman she was. It was just her waiting, though. No Franky or Zoro.

Once he was able to get to his feet again, which the pile didn’t let up for well over ten minutes, he gave Robin a snug hug and received a kiss on the cheek from her. He’d have normally melted into the floorboards below but he was more annoyed Zoro wasn’t around for his reappearance. Obviously, for Sanji himself, he wasn’t gone at all, but to everyone else, he was gone for weeks.

“No Marimo? Franky?” Sanji asked, feeling his breast pocket for some smokes that weren’t there. Apparently whoever prepared his clothes did not think he would need them. _How wrong they are,_ he thought.

That weird aura returned when Sanji mentioned the swordsman. Even Luffy’s contagious smile faded and his face was cast in shadow when he ducked his head below his hat. “He’s in the Crow’s Nest.”

Sanji looked around at his _nakama,_ but they all avoided his gaze. “Uhm, am I missing something here?”

Usopp opened his mouth to speak but it was then when Franky emerged from below deck with a quick replacement door for the kitchen. “YOW! Sanji-bro, you’re back with us! Just in time, too,” he mumbled. “Sunny was taking some harsh blows.”

“Yeah, about that. What went on while I was-”

“Would you make us a meal, Cook-san?” Robin’s cool voice was heard to Sanji’s left. After blinking away his confusion, he slowly nodded his head in defeat. _They won’t talk about it, whatever it was,_ Sanji thought to himself. “Let me grab my smokes first,” he said with a wide, fake smile. It wasn’t as if he was the only one doing so. Everyone else wore a smile that didn’t quite reach their eyes. _I know my nakama, and something is not right._ Before disappearing in the darkness of the boy’s room, Sanji glanced up at the Crow’s Nest. His Haki told him no doubt Zoro was up there, but the strange thing was _why wasn’t he down_ **_here?_ **

Once in the bunkroom, Sanji went to his dresser and looked for the unopened pack he knew he had in there. Rummaging under his clothes, he grew impatient the longer it took. Tossing a few shirts to the floor to search, he growled when he still didn’t find them. _They should be right here, dammit._ The itchy urge he had for a cigarette burned. “What the fuck!?” he shouted. Too annoyed to continue, Sanji plopped onto his hanging bed making it sway back and forth. “I need my smokes.”

Unable to ignore the problem out on the deck, Sanji’s mind wandered back to the mess. _I don’t remember the galley door being torn off like that at all when I was younger. I know there are things I’m sure I’ve forgotten since all those years have passed, but it didn’t even jog my memory to see it lying there like that. So if only a few hours ago I was a child and I don’t remember it being like that at that time, it must mean it happened just now when I was unconscious. It definitely has to do with that idiot swordsman, that’s for sure._

 _What happened that made Zoro act out?_ Sanji desperately thought. While absentmindedly looking around the room, his stare fell onto the bed across from his. Zoro’s blankets were all crumpled around like always because the algae was such a damn slob. Sanji’s eyes fell to the floor under the bunk and saw a cigarette butt. _The hell is that doing in here?_ He said to himself. 

Sanji never left his spent cigarettes lying around the ship. It wasn’t proper and it _certainly_ wasn’t fair since no one else on the ship smoked. As Sanji bent to grab it, he came face-to-face with a pack of cigarettes halfway tucked under Zoro’s blanket, it forcefully wedged between the mattress and the wooden side.

Picking the pack up, Sanji noted it was his Death brand of smokes, the pack he was looking for in the dresser. _Is this the same one?_ He thought and opened the top to peer inside. There were four missing cigarettes. The blonde tried thinking if he had any open packs lying around but was almost positive the only one that had missing cigarettes was down to about two or three left, not only four missing. _This must be the box I was looking for. Just, what’s it doing in Zoro’s bunk?_ Sanji thought and leaned forward to move Zoro’s blankets around. Sure enough, he found three more butts and some burned up matches.

Now that was something he wasn’t expecting. Sanji sat there dumbfounded as he wondered why in hell Zoro would smoke his cigarettes. In all the time he’s known him, he’s not once seen a cig in his mouth, so why start over the two weeks he’s been gone?

Sanji’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance. _The fucker just thinks he can go through my shit and take whatever he wants, huh?_ The chef stood abruptly and stormed out of the bunkroom, headed straight for the ratlines to climb to the Crow’s Nest and confront the swordsman.

“Sanji-san,” Brook’s voice hummed as Sanji’s fingers tangled into the rope. When the blonde turned, Brook continued. “Would you like me to help you in the kitchen? I seemed to have formed a habit in your absence.”

With one last look upwards where Zoro was, Sanji sighed and said he’d like that. The two stepped around the broken pieces of the door and entered the kitchen. Luffy was sitting up on the counter with a smile.

“I missed you, Sanji!” his captain said, this time the dark, heavy aura lifted. The lighthearted kid was back and the smile touched on all his features.

“I’m sure you only missed my cooking, Captain,” Sanji murmured between his own smile and struck up a match to light a cigarette. Taking a long pull, letting the smoke completely fill his lungs, Sanji watched Luffy’s face drop in a pout.

“Not true! You’re _nakama!_ No matter how good your cooking is, it will never be better than the person making it.”

Even though Luffy laughed as he said that, Sanji still froze in place for a millisecond. It didn’t matter how many years passed since his horrible childhood, it was still strange to hear anyone say such things about him: _The loser Vinsmoke._ “Alright, alright, I believe you,” Sanji said, exhaling the smoke.

The Sunny's chef busied himself with getting dinner prepared, with Brook’s help and Luffy’s interruptions. While some Sea King meat fried in a giant pan, Sanji pushed the mixed vegetables around in a wok until they were stirred properly. Feeling content for a few moments, Sanji turned to face Luffy and Brook. “So,” he said and sparked up a new cigarette. “What happened to the galley’s door?”

“Zoro-” Brook started but immediately cringed and looked at Luffy, who was boring a hole into him. The skeleton clearly looked uncomfortable under the heavy gaze and shrugged out from underneath it, backing away into the dining area and eventually out on the deck, leaving just the two Straw Hats alone.

The scene wasn’t misplaced compared to how everyone was acting, but it was still strange to see Luffy so protective over a tussle. “Am I going to be kept in the dark or is someone going to tell me what’s going on?” Sanji asked, flicking the ashes into a tray on the far counter. He clicked his tongue as he waited for Luffy to answer.

“What’s done is done,” Luffy said softly. “Don’t worry about it.”

Sanji left it at that. It was obvious his captain didn’t plan on saying anything more, despite how _infuriating_ it was for the cook to deal with. Seriously, he didn’t understand what the big deal was! _Why won’t he just tell me?!_

The rest of the time in the kitchen was spent in silence. It wasn’t awkward for Sanji to have an audience who didn’t speak while he worked, even if it was the most active member of the crew. Something in the back of his mind told him that Luffy wasn’t there to keep him company, though. It felt more as if he was _guarding_ Sanji against the other crew members so the chef couldn’t ask any questions. This started because of Brook but both Nami and Chopper separately came into the kitchen and Luffy’s intense warning glare didn’t go unnoticed by Sanji.

Once the food was done and all his _nakama_ were properly served, he narrowed his eyes in the empty place to Luffy’s right. “Oi, is the marimo coming or what?” he asked as casually as he could. He’d be lying if he didn’t feel the least bit anxious to see Zoro after this whole mysterious happening. Surely, it wasn’t that bad that Zoro would miss dinner, right?

“Last I knew, he was still holed up in the Crow’s Nest,” Franky said and glanced at the new door he had attached while Sanji cooked. His eyes stayed attached to the door for a moment longer than Sanji would have expected, then he turned them back to his food and happily tucked in like nothing was wrong.

With a sigh, Sanji grabbed the plate that sat to Luffy’s right and turned on his heel to head for the algae who _apparently_ thought he was too good to eat with his family.

“Don’t,” Luffy said. Sanji looked back at him. “If he wants to eat, he can come down here.”

“You know he won’t,” Sanji argued, irked Luffy _still_ was hiding something.

“I know,” he said, and when Sanji opened his mouth to protest, he continued. “If he wants to eat, he will eat with us. Otherwise, he doesn’t get any.”

Shocked his captain would deny him of serving Zoro up in the Crow’s Nest, Sanji looked to his other crew members to see if they, too, thought his idea was preposterous. Everyone looked somber and the air in the room changed. Quillard was the only one who looked him directly in the eye. He did not speak, but his facial expression confirmed shit was not right around here. _Seriously, what the fuck is going on?_

Sanji looked out the small, circular window to peer out on deck, the sky darkening around them. Feeling defeated, he set the plate back down on the table in Zoro’s spot then made his way over to Luffy’s left to begin his own meal without another word.

___

Zoro never came down to join them for dinner. Sanji even waited to clean everything up for forty-five minutes after everyone had left the galley. He didn’t expect Zoro to show, but still, it hurt to know he skipped a meal. The swordsman knew how important it was to Sanji to eat, especially as a family together at the table, yet he still missed it. Sanji set Zoro’s portion inside the icebox, wrapped up and ready to reheat if he decided to change his mind. 

Once dishes were done, Sanji stood in the kitchen a little longer to enjoy a glass of wine before heading to bed. Nami had told them they would be landing at another island sometime early in the morning and that he would need to grab supplies because Brook and Usopp sucked at it. It temporarily made him happy to hear Nami compliment his efficiencies, but his smile faded soon after she left. 

Sanji felt exhausted. He hadn’t done anything different than normal, but he felt especially sluggish after waking in the infirmary, and after all the drama that was being covered up, it tired the cook out. The burning urge to scream at everyone for hiding something from him and the idiot moss-ball who ignored his return was draining his energy. Or the fact that _everyone_ sort of seemed to ignore his return. The Straw Hats through parties all the time but Luffy requested none. Sanji ignored the sting in his chest.

Tossing back the rest of the velvety red liquid, Sanji rinsed the glass and set it in the drying rack before taking his leave. He turned the light off and left the kitchen, eager to climb into bed to ready himself for a long day on an island.

But Usopp was walking by. “Oi,” Sanji said, holding his hand up for the sniper to stop. “Where are you going?”

“Oh, hey. Was going to relieve Zoro from watch-duty.”

That made sense. Without further comment, Sanji grabbed Usopp by the elbow and dragged him to the bow of the ship, furthest away from prying ears. Usopp protested the whole way, knowing damn well what Sanji was up to, but the cook had a firm grip that the other couldn’t shake loose. Sanji shoved Usopp towards the lion head. “Spill it.”

“Heh, uhmmm, w-what do you mean?” Usopp said, his voice shaking. One hand rubbed at the spot Sanji held while the other fidgeted with the pant leg of his overalls.

“What. Happened. To. The. Door.”

Usopp’s eyes darted around trying to look for an escape route as Sanji stalked forward, pressing ever closer to the shorter man, whose back was already against the railing. “It-it fell off! Because of a tsunami! Its great waves almost consumed us but-” Usopp cut himself off when he saw Sanji’s deadpan face. “I mean, I have the Don’t-Say-Anything-About-What-Happened-Or-Luffy-Will-Do-To-Me-What-He-Did-To-Zoro disease.”

Sanji’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “What did Luffy do to Zoro?!”

 _“Eeep!_ Nothing! I am _literally_ a liar and I have no idea what the hell I’m saying!” Usopp croaked with watery eyes.

“Cut the shit, Usoppu,” Sanji said flatly. “Did Luffy tell you not to talk?”

“W-well, I mean-”

“Usoppu!”

“Alright! Alright, I get it,” the sniper said, his eyes finally meeting Sanji’s. The tears that suddenly welled up grew too large and tumbled down tanned cheeks. “You see, what happened to the door was... it was sliced up. You saw what it looked like.” Sanji nodded and waited impatiently for him to go on. “Well, it was sliced up by some swords. Not by Brook’s, though.”

“Zoro’s. Got it. Keep going.”

“R-r-right. Zoro’s swords,” Usopp said and warily glanced up at the Crow’s Nest as if the man himself could hear every word he was saying. “Right, so Zoro might have been a little upset when it was time for you to go back, you know, to your normal self.”

Sanji waited for the sniper to continue, but it seemed as if he had nothing else to add as if that was enough of an explanation. _“Keep fucking talking,”_ Sanji said through gritted teeth. The more this was prolonged, the more anxious he felt. He fingered around in his breast pocket and fished a cigarette out. He gave a polite step back away from Usopp and lit up, puffing more desperately than normal.

“I-I really shouldn’t say much else, Sanji, Luffy will get mad at me!” Usopp said as a few more tears fell, but the cook didn’t respond. He wiped under his nose to rid the snot away and shook his head in defeat. “Okay, fine. If Luffy comes after me for this, I’m blaming it all on you! That you forced me!”

“That’s fine,” Sanji answered, blowing smoke into the cool night air.

“Right. Right…” Usopp said, obviously still trying to stall for time. With a heavy sigh, he said, “Chopper had to sedate you to get you to cooperate, you know. I sort of slipped up and said something about ‘going back’ and you just went berserk! We couldn’t contain you and you slipped away and found Zoro.” Sanji listened intently. Everything seemed normal so far, it was as much as he remembered. He recalled being terribly upset before waking up in his room in the Germa Kingdom. “You begged him not to send you back to wherever it was you came from. It was really sad. Everyone was crying. It was...it was horrible, Sanji.”

“I’m sure it was,” the cook said quietly. If only they knew half of what he had gone through before he managed to escape that wretched place, then they may have understood why he had been so upset.

“Since you were so out of control, Chopper sedated you, and then you said something to Zoro. No one but him heard. I sniffled _right_ at the moment you spoke! I _just_ missed it! But whatever it was, Zoro didn’t take it very well. Once you were completely unconscious, I hauled you away with Chopper back into the med bay.”

Usopp visibly curled in on himself now, his hands on either side of his head as his blank stare was aimed at the deck. Sanji realized Usopp was truly shaken by whatever he was about to say next, so he remained silent, his patience returning.

“Then...then...I set you down on the examiner’s bed, and that’s when the galley door was sliced up. I could hear Nami and Robin screaming for Zoro to stop! I left the room to see what was going on and Zoro was…” Usopp trailed off to swallow a sob that tried to form. “Please don’t make me say this,” he whispered and shamelessly cried into his hands.

The story was making Sanji feel bad. It was technically his fault for whatever happened. Even though Usopp didn’t want to relive it, Sanji still needed to know. Pinching the end of his spent cigarette in his fingers, he pocketed the butt and then pulled Usopp into a hug, rubbing his back. Letting the sniper have a few moments to cry it out and collect himself, Sanji spoke. “I’m sorry, I really am. But I have to know. You have to tell me.”

Usopp sobbed into Sanji’s chest for the next few minutes and when he came down from his breakdown, he pulled away from Sanji’s grasp and wiped at his nose again. “It was scary. I’ve never seen them fight like that,” he whispered. 

. . . 

“What was that?!” Chopper squealed. The reindeer looked between Quillard and Usopp to see if they knew.

With a sniffle, Usopp made sure Sanji’s small body was on the bed completely before leaving to see what the commotion was about. He knew it was nothing good because there was a loud noise and now there was screaming. “What in the hell is going on out there!” Usopp said under his breath and tore the door open.

Staring at him across the dining room was Zoro, his chest heaving up and down and two swords in his hands that hacked at the door frame to the kitchen. Usopp stumbled backward and almost fell on his bottom in shock. The swordsman was glaring right at Usopp, but the sniper knew he wasn’t looking at him - he was looking _through_ him. It was obvious he was looking for the small little blonde that he’d taken care of these past two weeks.

“ZORO!” Luffy yelled, and Zoro growled in frustration as he tried moving forward. It was then Usopp realized Luffy’s arms were coiled around his waist pulling him backward, Zoro straining to pull against his captain’s impossible strength. The aura the two oozed was enough to make anyone tuck tail and run in the opposite direction, but Usopp was frozen in place. The seriousness behind Zoro’s pained expression told Usopp he’d do just about anything to get to the boy in the room behind him.

“LET GO OF ME!” Zoro shouted back to Luffy. To Usopp’s surprise, he dropped his swords and manually tried prying the rubbery arms away from him. Without the aid of his swords that held him in place, Zoro snapped backward to the middle of the deck where Luffy stood and the scuffle began. Usopp hurried from his spot to look out of the kitchen doorway and saw the grass had already been torn up in places.

Luffy and Zoro tumbled around in the grass, rolling over each other, punching each other, and even biting each other. Usopp could hardly believe what he was seeing, this wasn’t just some silly brawl they got into like the buddies they were - this was a full-on fight and the two were using all their strength! Peering around the deck to look at the others, Usopp saw Nami clutching Robin tightly while she sobbed into her shoulder while the brunette held a hand over her mouth in shock. Brook was next to them, holding both in his arms. Franky stood close to the other three with a pained look on his face probably thinking the exact same thing Usopp was himself; _Do I intervene or not?!_

It didn’t matter if the two fighting were the top strongest on the crew. It didn’t matter if stepping in would cause harm to his own body. Usopp heavily debated on what was the right decision and what wasn’t. But if Franky wasn’t jumping between them, Usopp knew he had to do just the same and trust his captain to take care of the matter.

“Settle down, Zoro! Let Chopper and Frilly do their job!”

“NO!” Zoro choked while trying to wiggle his fingers under Luffy’s hands that were wrapped around his neck. “Don’t send him back!” Luffy managed to mount Zoro and immediately began pounding his fists into his face. With each hit, Usopp winced, knowing damn well Luffy wasn’t holding anything back. With each hit, Zoro repeated over and over, “Don’t change him back!”

. . .

“What do you mean, ‘don’t change me back,’?” Sanji interrupted. He was trying to follow the story as best he could.

“Zoro didn’t want Quillard to send you back to where you came from. And sending you back meant you’d change into an adult.”

“And why would he want that?” Sanji pressed, still not understanding.

“Well, I d-didn’t know either! I was just as confused as you are right now when I opened that door and saw Zoro practically foaming at the mouth like a vicious animal! He went absolutely _psycho,_ Sanji! Luffy could barely contain him! They yelled and yelled, arguing about what was best for you!”

Sanji frowned. “What were their arguments?”

“Luffy wanted you to be turned back to how you are now because he didn’t want to change your fate, and if we went with Zoro’s idea, then that’s exactly what would have happened.”

“And what did Zoro want to do?!”

. . . 

Zoro managed to grab ahold of Luffy’s wrists. He looked up at his captain who was panting over him. Usopp could see Zoro’s face was already beginning to swell up on one side and his lip was busted open. His blood had sprayed over Luffy’s face. It was quiet, the only thing to be heard was the girls crying and Luffy and Zoro gasping for air. 

Usopp barely heard Zoro when he spoke. “Let me raise Sanji.”

. . .

Frozen in place, all Sanji could do was stare at Usopp, unable to even blink. “W-what?” he asked, unsure if he heard correctly.

“I know! Even though you two were inseparable over the weeks, it was still shocking to all of us, too! Zoro said he’d rather _die_ than send you back to, and I’m quoting him, I didn’t say this! ‘I’d rather die than send him back to hell!’”

The information seemed to process slowly as Sanji listened. “He...he didn’t want me to be an adult again?”

“No!” Usopp squeaked and his tears started to flow again. “When he said that, Luffy lost it, too! Oh, Sanji, it was so scary! I was half hiding behind the kitchen wall to look out at them fighting. It was horrible! Zoro begged….” 

. . .

Luffy’s face turned sour, his eyes darkening. _“What did you just say?”_ he said through gritted teeth. His hands clenched into fists and pulled out of Zoro’s grasp.

“I can give him a better childhood here! We all can! Don’t allow him to be turned back, Luffy. Let’s raise Sanji on the Sunny.”

Usopp could hear how hurt Zoro was, the pain lining his voice stung his chest, even from across the deck. The sniper watched the two stare at each other, unsure of what was going to happen next.

“No.”

“What! Why not! You heard his cries just now! You heard how scared he was!” Zoro struggled to move out from under Luffy, but the captain forced all his weight down. “He’s terrified of whatever awaits him at home!”

“No!” Luffy snapped and brought his fist back behind his head and slammed it into Zoro’s face. “He will change back to big Sanji!”

It was evident that Zoro started to panic knowing he didn’t have much time. “How could you let him go back to his personal hell?! Especially after all that you’ve learned!” he shouted, trying to kick out from under Luffy’s body.

Luffy continued to pummel Zoro’s face while he screamed back at him. “We won’t change Sanji’s fate! Sanji made it to us once and he can do it again!”

“I’d...rather die...than allow him...to go back…” Zoro said between hits from Luffy’s fists.

Chopper came out from the infirmary and stood next to Usopp. “He’s back to normal again!” he said quickly before really realizing what was going on in front of him. The doctor could only stare at the scene before him in horror.

Once Zoro heard Sanji was an adult again, he stopped resisting. Both arms dropped to the sides and he let Luffy endlessly hit him. His bottom lip had long ago burst open and covered the lower half of Zoro’s jaw in shiny red liquid. His scarred eye was a dark purple, bordering on black at this point. It only lasted a few more seconds until both Franky and Brook ran forward to grab Luffy off his First Mate.

While Luffy tried wiggling free in their hold, Zoro kept muttering under his breath. Usopp had to strain to hear what he was saying.

“I failed him again. I failed him again. I want to die. Please let me die.”

. . . 

“And hearing him say that made Luffy _really_ mad! Robin had to use her powers to help hold him back! Then if that wasn’t enough, Zoro flipped over and started slamming his face into the ground! It shook the entire boat each time!” Usopp was trembling again and Sanji could hardly believe every sentence that came out of his crew mate’s mouth. “Then there was this strange feeling in the air. Luffy screamed for him to stop.” Usopp whispered and clutched his chest, remembering the ghosted feeling. “I fell to my knees and my body seemed weaker when I heard it...Whatever it was, Zoro hesitated and I guess it was enough to shake him from his suicidal rampage. He didn’t wait for your sedative to wear off to see you. He climbed into the Crow’s Nest and hasn’t come out since.”

Hearing Usopp’s description of his reaction to Luffy’s shout sounded like - “Conqueror's Haki,” Sanji concluded. He had to admit, he was surprised Luffy would use it against his First Mate, but from what Usopp had said, apparently, it was worth doing to get the marimo to snap out of it.

“Huh?” Usopp sniffled with confusion.

“That’s what Luffy used to stop Zoro. You felt the effects of his Conqueror's Haki,” Sanji said and let his mind wander to the rest of the events in the story. There weren’t really words to describe any sort of response to what Sanji had just heard. In fact, if Usopp hadn’t been balling like a baby in front of him, he probably wouldn’t have believed a word of it. “Zoro wanted to raise me, though?”

“Begged Luffy for it, yeah. Said he could give you a better life on the Sunny and he’d take full responsibility for you,” Usopp said, and sniffled snot back into his nose.

“I see,” the blonde said. He ran his fingers through his hair and then pat his sniper friend on the shoulder. “Thanks for telling me. I’m sorry you had to think about it again, but I’m glad I know now.”

“Mhm,” Usopp hummed while wiping his eyes with his palms. “Can I go now?”

“Of course.” Sanji headed back to the boy’s room. It was quiet already. He wedged himself between the bunks, undressed to his boxer briefs, then laid in his bunk to stare up at the wooden box above his. His heart made loud _pitter-patter_ patterns in his chest thinking of Zoro coming into the room in a few moments. _Just a little bit longer and he’ll lay down right next to me,_ Sanji thought. _What will he say? Will he say anything at all? Should I say something? Should I mention that I know about the fight?_

The door creaked open signaling someone walking in. Sanji closed his eyes and smiled, unable to contain his happiness but didn’t feel Zoro’s menacing aura approaching. “Usoppu?” Sanji asked into the dark.

The shadowy figure climbed up in the bunk above his making them both wiggle on the chains they hung from. “Yeah?” the brunette asked.

“I thought you were relieving Zoro…?” 

“Oh,” Usopp started. “He told me to leave him alone and said he was fine. And before you ask, yes, I pushed for him to sleep but it’s _Zoro_ and I’m _me_ and do you really think I pressed any further?!” Usopp’s voice whispered harshly.

Sanji couldn’t hold back his chuckle. “Haha, no, I definitely don’t blame you. Goodnight.”

___

Normally, Sanji woke up quite early in the morning to start on breakfast but today he slept in. When he finally woke, only he, Luffy, and Usopp remained. 

_Shit,_ he groaned to himself. _The ladies are probably wanting their morning coffee. And Brook needs his tea._ The blonde pulled himself from the bed and dressed in clean clothes. Emerging from the bunkroom, he saw they were docked.

While making breakfast, Robin had said when she woke a few hours ago the ship’s anchor was already dropped and the ropes were tied to the docks. She also said she went to visit Zoro to ask how he was doing but to her surprise, he was gone.

A hollow feeling formed in Sanji’s chest when she had told the room that information. He was glad to have been facing away because he couldn’t hide his frown. The swordsman seemed upset about him and he wasn’t sure why it was affecting him so deeply. There were few remedies that made Zoro feel better and since the moss ball currently wasn’t clashing against him with his swords in a brawl, he had to be drowning himself in alcohol. Sanji made a mental note to keep track of time for how long he was gone.

Even though Zoro was missing, everyone ate breakfast normally. There was still a little hesitation of true happiness, but for the most part, they seemed to be in better spirits than yesterday. It was a relief to Sanji to see them push past their sadness for him and to continue being their regular selves. The last person to get back to normal was Zoro and he was making it hard to fix by avoiding him and the rest of the crew.

Since the marimo wasn’t there for breakfast or lunch, Sanji now had three plates of his wrapped up in the icebox for when he returned. His absence was becoming less of a worrying ache and more of an irritating annoyance for Sanji. 

When the chef agreed to accompany the ladies and Chopper shopping, he decided to grab the supplies he needed as well. He could at least appreciate the distraction, even if it didn’t work as much as he had hoped. The four of them walked the streets of the city and Sanji couldn’t help but look around to see if they passed any bars or if he saw Zoro wandering about.

“Cook-san, may I speak with you?” Robin’s cool voice said from behind Sanji. He shook his thoughts away and hummed an agreement. The two Straw Hats veered away from Nami and Chopper and sat at a table outside of a small cafe. “How are you feeling?” she asked politely once they were settled.

“I’m over the top with happiness with you in my presence, Robin-chwan!” Sanji said with a bright smile.

“Mm, I’m sure you are. And what about when I’m not in your presence?” she asked calculatingly. She leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand, propping her head up with an elbow on the glass table.

“Whatever do you mean, my dear?” Sanji asked, trying to keep his smile from faltering.

Robin giggled. “I want to know how you truly feel, how you feel right here,” she said and pointed her free hand to Sanji’s chest. “You have a sharp mind so it is without a doubt you have noticed the lack of celebration of your return, yes?”

 _Ah. This is what she wants to talk about._ Sanji sighed as he leaned back in his chair and pulled a cigarette out. The lighter was at the end of the stick and before he flicked the striker, he hesitated, glancing up at Robin for permission. She nodded her head for him to continue, so he lit his cigarette up, took a deep breath, and let his head fall back as he exhaled into the air above him. “Yeah, I noticed. Didn’t feel right when I approached you all.”

“Mmhm, that’s because we had been through a moment of stress, which you know all about now.” Sanji pulled his head forward to look at Robin again. “You didn’t check if anyone was around when you pulled Usopp aside last night,” she said with a wry smile.

“Luffy wouldn’t let anyone talk about it but I knew if I squeezed hard enough, Usopp would squeal.”

“And what do you think of his story?”

“Story?” Sanji asked, flicking his ash behind him. “You mean like a lie?”

Robin gently shook her head back and forth. “My apologies, I should not have used that word when speaking of our dear sniper. I only meant, what did you think of Zoro-san’s actions?”

Without hesitation, Sanji answered, “He’s an asshole for going against the captain like that. And for making you and Nami-san worry over his tantrum!”

The woman looked Sanji over, reading his face. “He had good intentions, you know. Swordsman-san was only thinking of what was best for the little cook on the ship. You can’t hold that against him.”

The cigarette was already gone and Sanji wasted no time to light up a new one. “Who does he think he is, trying to take my life into his hands like that?!” Sanji barked. The lighter shook in his hand while he tried producing a flame. His hands vibrated so intensely, he ended up tossing the lighter on the table and huffing in defeat when he couldn’t do it. “How could Zoro, of all people, be willing to take me in as a child? A burden to his dream?!”

This time, Robin frowned. Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows furrowed together and her lip pulled up with a snarl. “Don’t you ever think of yourself as a burden, Sanji-san,” she snapped. She held Sanji’s gaze to drive home the statement. “Don’t ever say that about yourself again. Do you honestly believe Zoro-san would so easily give up his dream? Do you believe Zoro-san thinks so little of his dream that he’d cast it aside for just some child? Of course not, because it wasn’t _just some child!”_ Robin clenched her fist over the table and slowly closed her eyes while she regained her composure. “I agreed with his decision. I never spoke up because I am a coward, but I too wanted to give you a better childhood.”

“Robin-chan…” Sanji whispered. He’d never seen her lose herself like that. Her facial features had softened now but the angry look she had given him when he talked down about himself won’t leave his mind for quite some time.

“Every child deserves a good upbringing. I do not know - and do not wish to know, mind you - what horrors in your past you have faced. But I do know that if Zoro-san was willing to let his dream go in order to give you something better than what you had, then...then it had to have been no childhood at all for you. I am glad you are back with us as you are, but at that moment in time, I would have chosen to keep you as a child. Every child deserves a good upbringing,” she repeated.

Robin’s last line made Sanji shiver. Her voice was cold when she repeated that and Sanji had to wonder if maybe she didn’t have a good childhood, either. It was as if she spoke from experience rather than a simple opinion.

“I promise I am glad you’re back with us. But that chance of giving one more child a better life was ever so tempting...and then Zoro-san practically read my mind - only he fought for the idea and I did not.” Robin finished.

“Why are you telling me this, Robin-chan?” Sanji asked carefully.

Robin chuckled. “I’m not so sure myself. I know Captain would be very upset with me if he knew I felt the same as our swordsman did. I wonder if he would bash my head in like he did Zoro-san, hm?” she asked with a giggle at her dark humor. And just like that, she was back to her normal self. No trace of the strange outburst she had moments ago.

It took a few minutes for Sanji to let all new information soak into his brain. How could his friends want to abandon their dreams for him? Only to give him a better childhood, nothing more. _They would have gained nothing from it. I was only seven and they were ready to commit to years of bringing me up._

Sanji was reminded of the beat down Zoro got when Robin mentioned it. “Oi, about that. Did that idiot get taken care of by Chopper after all that? Usoppu said his face was covered in blood.”

“Oh, heavens no. He wouldn’t let the doctor come near him.” Sanji groaned in frustration. “You seem concerned, Cook-san. Are you worried about our fellow swordsman?”

Sanji’s lip twitched around his cigarette. Instead of answering, he reached for his lighter and tried sparking up again, successfully producing a flame this time. Taking a few puffs, Sanji closed his eyes as he let the nicotine fill his lungs. “You already know the answer to that, Robin. You always have.”

A sly smirk grew on the archeologist's face. “Oh? So it’s true?”

Looking away to watch the city folks walk down the narrow street, Sanji eventually hung his head. “More than he will ever know.”

___

The day had come and gone and Zoro still hadn’t wandered back onto the ship. Sanji waited at the bow looking in at the city to see if he could see him, but he never showed. The lights that illuminated the streets made the city glow. It was honestly so beautiful but Sanji could hardly bring himself to enjoy it when the moss ball hadn’t been accounted for since late last night.

The chef checked the time and saw it was nearing a quarter past eight. _He’s been gone all day, dammit, where is he?_ Sanji thought. Luffy, Franky, and Usopp were still somewhere in the city messing around while Brook, Chopper, Nami, and Robin stayed on the ship. Sanji was pacing the length of the Sunny and then stopping at the front to look for Zoro, then repeat his pacing. Nami was growing irritated.

“Sanji-kun, what the _hell_ are you doing?” she asked, looking up from her cards. Her, Brook, and Chopper sat in the grass around a small propane lantern playing poker. Of course, Nami was winning. “You’re going to make me break concentration.”

“Sorry, my dearest Nami-swan!” Sanji cooed. He gave a quick glance to Robin who thankfully wasn’t looking at him. “I think I’m going to head into town, actually. I need to stretch my legs.”

“Whatever. Go, will you?” Nami said, waving her hand behind her. “And bring back that idiot while you’re at it.”

Unsure of who she meant, Sanji asked, “Uhm, which one, my dear?”

“The thick-headed one.”

“Uhm…?”

 _“ZORO!”_ Nami shouted.

“Ah. Of course. Anything for you!”

___

  
  


The walk into town served to be less chilly than it was on the ship. The cool air washing over them from the ocean had Sanji keeping his suit jacket on while looking for Zoro, but now that he was walking the city streets, he wished he left it hanging over his bunk. Without the wind blowing from the horizon over the ocean, the air was sticky and thick with the summer heat.

Sanji was lucky that the island was small, therefore keeping the main city small. There weren’t many places for Zoro to go, so when Sanji veered away from the shops and merchants streets where he had spent his day with the others and appeared on the night-life street, he was sure he’d find his crewmate in no time.

There were three bars that were open and Sanji had gone through them all. He took a look around in the first one and it was easy to tell that the marimo wasn’t there. It was a small bar, something Sanji knew Zoro liked. The lights were low and no stage in the corner for live music - Zoro _hated_ live music that wasn’t Brook or Franky’s. He may have drunkenly mentioned once or twice how no one else compared to their passion behind an instrument. He had said listening to karaoke or the likes grated on his ears but when Brook took up a mic, he adored it. Sanji held that memory close to him. Since this bar lacked a space to hold such things, Sanji was disappointed to learn that the bartender hadn’t seen anyone with green hair all day, which left the blonde confused as this was the perfect place for his crewmate.

In the next bar, Zoro was still missing. It was slightly larger than the first but it was full to the brim with people laughing and yelling and dancing - also something Zoro hated when it wasn’t his _nakama_ doing so. Sanji had to try and find him, though, so he weaved in and out of the crowd to see if he could spot a dot of green. Every corner was taken up by people making out and grinding on each other and Sanji made sure to steer clear away the moment his eyes came upon such a scene. _He’s_ **_definitely_ ** _not in this one,_ Sanji thought to himself.

The third, and last, bar on the street was just as small as the first one, but this, too, was packed from wall to wall. This bar, called _The Drunken Mic,_ did have a karaoke stage and people were slurring their ways through songs, butchering every last lyric until the shanty was barely recognizable anymore. _This is the last bar on the street and I know damn well he’s not here with this type of crowd,_ Sanji thought as he pushed past a few people to reach the bartenders. Again, he asked if a muscle-head with green hair passed through and got the same answer as the other two bars - no marimo.

“The hell…” Sanji said as he left the building and stood in the street. He sunk his hands in his pockets and kicked a rock at his feet, watching it skip across the gravel road and eventually come to a stop a few yards away. The cook sighed. “Where the fuck is he if he’s not in a bar?”

Feeling defeated, Sanji made his way down the street and back towards Sunny knowing he wouldn’t have much luck to find Zoro in a foreign city in the dark. Each building he passed was some sort of restaurant. They were closing up for the night as it was now pushing ten o’clock. A few workers were sweeping the patio and clearing tables, some already had their lights turned off and ‘closed’ signs put in the window.

Then Sanji read the name of a building and was curious as to why it looked closed. It sounded like a bar name, being titled _The Way of Ale,_ but no patrons spilled out onto the street like the others. It looked as if only one light was on but the open sign was off, making Sanji wonder why he should even bother to try there. It was the only bar left that he saw, though, and he had to try.

The cook walked up the two steps that led to the wooden porch, the heels of his loafers clicking in the night. In the darkness, Sanji almost tripped over a boot in the walkway. He squinted his eyes and followed the foot to its owner. “Zoro!” Sanji said excitedly, but his smile faded. Something was wrong.

The Sunny’s swordsman sat slumped against the wall of the bar with his head hung forward, chin touching his bare chest, which was shimmering in the light from across the street. Sanji squatted down and was immediately assaulted by the smell of vomit. He slapped a hand over his face to shield the odor while he looked Zoro over. Sure enough, his chest looked to be covered in his own stomach contents and a sheen of sweat.

Around Zoro’s waist was his trench coat tied tight, but his katanas were thrown haphazardly next to him. _Something is definitely wrong,_ Sanji thought, taking note that both of Zoro’s hands were splayed out on either side of him, neither grasping at his swords to keep them safe.

Then Sanji noticed the white of gauze peeking out from under Zoro’s haramaki. He carefully hooked a finger in the top of the thick fabric and pulled down, exposing an enormous amount of blood-stained bandages. He couldn’t hold back the gasp that escaped his mouth. “Zoro…” he whispered, worry taking over his mind. “Zoro, are you alright?” he asked.

He wanted, more than anything, to reach out and lift his face to see him. To see his steely grey eye pierce back into his. To see his chiseled jawline flex while he gritted his teeth with annoyance for waking him. To see those lips move and form the insults he’d no doubt throw at Sanji the moment he saw he was there to pick him up. 

No longer caring of what Zoro might think of the contact, Sanji pushed his hand under Zoro’s chin and lifted his head. His hand was slimy and wet but it didn’t even register because Zoro’s face was beaten to hell and back.

Zoro’s scarred left eye was swollen up and a large black ring circled around it. The bruising melted across his nose and under his right eye. Across his forehead was a horizontal gash with bruising around it, too. He had a deep cut in his lip which was oozing blood, part of the wetness Sanji felt on his fingers. The cook leaned in closer, squinting in the darkness to get a better look at him. “Marimo...what happened to you,” Sanji whispered, more to himself than the other.

Seeing as how Zoro didn’t stir at all from the touch, Sanji eased his head back down to rest on his chest and entered the bar. “Excuse me,” he said urgently to the bartender who was washing glasses behind the counter.

“Can’t y’see m’closed, kid?” The older gentleman grumbled.

“I do see that,” Sanji replied, looking around. The chairs were turned over on the tables and the floor looked to be swept already. Only the stools at the bartop were still down. “My buddy is pretty messed up outside your bar. Could I have a wet wash rag to clean him up, please?”

“Does he got green hair?”

Sanji quirked an eyebrow upward, unsure of the connection. “Yes?”

“Then fook off,” the bartender growled and continued with the glass in his hand.

“Oi, oi, why are you being hostile? I’m only asking for a washrag, and maybe a pitcher of water.”

“That pirate can bite the dust fer all I care! Bastard drank me dry!”

Looking around the bar again, Sanji realized that must have been the reason why he closed early. “Isn’t that a good thing, though?”

“NO! It’s not! I’ll have ta close fer the rest o’the week until the next shipment gets here. Fookin pirate bastard.”

“Wait,” Sanji said, leaning on the counter. “How did he pay for so much booze? That one doesn’t have a coin to his name.” Sanji hiked a thumb over his shoulder towards the door.

“He didn’t pay for a single drink himself,” the bartender started. Sanji figured Zoro had to of gotten drunk on someone else's Berry, but to be _that_ drunk? No one was that generous. Sanji was just about to speak up and ask what happened to his _nakama’s_ face when the older man continued. “Idiot burst through the door like an arrogant asshole, almost taking it off its hinges! Announced who he was, _‘I’m Roronoa Zoro, First Mate ta Monkey D. Luffy! Buy me a drink and I’ll let ya beat the shite outta me’_ is what he said, word-fer-word. You can imagine how many drinks he got. Like I said, drank me dry.”

Sanji’s jaw was hitting the counter, although he shouldn’t be surprised. “S-so he let people hit him in return for booze?” The bartender grumbled with a nod and continued working at the lipstick on the glass he’d abandoned. “When did he show up? How long has he been out there?!”

“Showed up a lil before noon. Weren’t many customers yet so the booze supply wasn’t being drained. But then the day turned ta night and after hearing a Straw Hat was in the building, m’place was overflowing. The bastard should be dead with how much booze he drank.”

Making a mental note to tell Chopper about the amount of alcohol intake, Sanji pressed the unanswered question. “And how long has he been sitting slumped against your damn bar like that?”

“Kicked his heavy ass out two hours ago. Closed up three hours ago but he refused ta leave. Had ta have a regular drag him away cause I couldn’t lift’em m’self.”

Sanji was too shocked to speak. “Y-you left him there for two hours?! He’s shit-faced and bloodied to hell!”

“He asked fer all that! I ain’t his momma, he can take care o’himself. M’not gonna get involved with a pirate, especially not one o’that rank,” the bartender spat back. He then eyed Sanji taking a better look at him. “You one o’those Straw Hats, then? You his mate?”

“Yeah, I am,” Sanji growled, glaring into the other’s eyes. “And you left him in a bad state. He could have choked on his own vomit and died out there.” Sanji stood and leaned in. “You should have sent someone down to the docks so we could fetch him.”

Feeling the air between them had changed drastically, the bartender cooled his attitude but stood his ground. “Look, I get why yer mad, but ya gotta understand I didn’t want ta get any more involved than I already was. I didn’t call the navy and turn’em in even though I could have. Shouldn’t I get some credit fer that at least?!”

“A washcloth - _please!”_ Sanji yelled in anger. After grumbling his hatred for demanding pirates, the man grabbed a rag to wet under the small sink and threw it at Sanji, who scoffed and turned on his heel to return to Zoro.

The swordsman was where he left him, of course, slumped into himself. “God, Marimo, what did you get yourself into?” he said and squatted down to his level. “Hey, get up. Let’s go back to Sunny and we can get you some fluids.” The swordsman didn’t budge. “Zoro, c’mon.”

Sanji shook Zoro’s shoulder again and only received a small groan. When the man was leaning away under the pressure, Sanji righted him so he didn’t fall over completely. With a sigh, Sanji reached in his breast pocket for a cigarette and lit up. He blew the smoke out right in Zoro’s face hoping it would irritate the other enough to wake the fuck up.

When Zoro didn’t budge under the first cloud of smoke, Sanji gave another sigh and sat on his heels to enjoy the rest of his cigarette. About halfway down the stick, Zoro stirred. “S-Sanji?” he groaned, voice hoarse.

The sound of his name drunkenly falling out of Zoro’s mouth made chills run down Sanji’s spine. Very rarely has he heard his name from this particular crewmate. “Zoro,” he answered as calmly as he could. “What in the hell did you do to yourself?” he asked and blew a fresh puff of smoke his way. Instead of swatting the cloud away, Zoro leaned into it. Sanji heard him deeply inhale the smell. Zoro didn’t answer, he only struggled to lift his head from his chest so he could look at his friend. “You’re still pretty drunk, aren’t you?” Sanji asked and lifted Zoro’s chin for him so their gaze could finally meet.

Zoro didn’t flinch away from the touch and he didn’t growl with annoyance. His one good eye struggled to stay open, but he kept it fixed on the blue one that stared back. For a silent moment, the two stayed still looking at each other. Sanji wished he knew why he saw hurt behind his stare rather than his usual fire, but there was no mistaking the look he was receiving: _hurt._ Sanji knew Zoro like no one else on the ship. The two were best fucking friends, for crying out loud.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, unsure of why he even bothered voicing his concern. They didn’t normally speak freely with each other, but the moment seemed so raw that Sanji couldn’t hold back this time.

“M’sorry,” Zoro whispered. The street light highlighted a single tear that rolled down Zoro’s cheek, it disappearing once it reached Sanji’s thumb that still held onto him.

If he didn’t feel the wetness from the tear himself, Sanji wouldn’t have believed that’s what it was he saw trailing down his swollen face. The only time Sanji had _ever_ seen Zoro cry was the day Mihawk sliced him in half and the man’s dream was ripped from his grasp. But here he was, right in front of him, covered in his own vomit, reeking of alcohol, bloodied all over - crying.

“And why are you sorry?” Sanji asked just as quietly, doing his best to pretend he didn’t see the tear. In his hold, he felt the weight of Zoro’s head lessen as he was now able to hold it up on his own. Sanji let go.

“Please leame’ere,” Zoro slurred and looked away, breaking their intense eye contact. “M’not ready to go back yet.”

“We don’t have to go back. We can stay here for a while longer,” Sanji said, continuing to suck on his cigarette again.

“I dun wan company, I mean,” Zoro said more firmly. Sanji had to admit that it stung to hear him say that but there was no way he was leaving Zoro the way he was.

“Shaddap,” Sanji said around his cig. He raised the cloth and started to wipe the blood and puke from below Zoro’s mouth who tried pulling away in a grunt. “Quit that. Let me help you, ya damn brute.”

“Leame alone,” Zoro growled, drunkenly swatting at the blonde to go away. With his free hand, Sanji grabbed one of Zoro’s wrists to cease it from hitting him.

“No. You reek and need medical attention. If you refuse to go back to Sunny so Chopper can take care of you, then the only other option is for me to do it,” Sanji told the other, his cigarette bouncing on his lip while he spoke. The blood and vomit from Zoro’s face were wiped clean now, at least as good as it would get in this lighting, so Sanji folded the washcloth to a new side and began wiping up the larger chunks of stomach contents off Zoro’s chest.

“Or you could jus ferget you saw me!” Zoro shouted and pulled himself away from Sanji. The sudden jerky movement made his stomach turn. He grabbed his middle and groaned while his head desperately tried to stop spinning. A gurgling noise sounded from deep within his throat making his eye go wide. “S-shit,” he said and leaned to the side to throw up again.

As fast as lightning, Sanji saw the signs of Zoro beginning to hurl and snatched the three katanas from his side and out of the way before they became soiled. A few minutes of heaving up more alcohol, Zoro wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and muttered a ‘thanks’ when he saw what Sanji did.

With a sigh, the blonde knew what he had to do. “Alright, up, up, up,” he told the swordsman and pushed his hands under his armpits and lifted him to his feet. The muscle-head stumbled forward but Sanji caught him, wrapping his arms around his waist while Zoro’s body swallowed him. _Jesus fucking Christ he’s heavy!_ Sanji thought as he sunk backward, lower to the deck under the man’s weight. Zoro’s head was resting on his shoulder, no doubt blooding it up! “You can’t support _any_ of your weight, you big brute?!”

With one hand, Sanji pushed Zoro up on his feet and quickly turned around so he fell onto Sanji’s back, then maneuvered his huge arms over his shoulders, resulting in the drunk awkwardly being slumped over Sanji, who muttered under his breath that the meat-head was way heavier than he looked.

With Zoro’s swords tucked under his arm, Sanji wobbled when he took the few steps down the stairs while he regained his balance. The gravel gave way under his shoes once he hit the street. Each step left a _crunching_ noise while Zoro’s boots dragged behind him. In the distance to their left, laughter could be heard echoing in the night’s air from the bars that were still open. Sanji turned right to head towards the hotel district.

“Where’re you takin me?” Zoro slurred into the blonde’s neck. Sanji shivered from the feathery light touch of Zoro’s lips grazing against his skin.

Sanji wanted to love every minute of this intimate moment between the two. He wanted to puff his chest with pride knowing he was finally able to take care of his _nakama_ even if he was the exact reason Zoro was in this state in the first place. He wanted to relish in the heat that flushed his face, it threatening to take over the more he thought about soft lips caressing the neck they touched. But how could he even think of something so gentle when the bastard smelled like booze, vomit, blood, and sweat. Sanji had to practically repress a gag when he thought of how gross the back of his suit jacket must be with Zoro’s chest rubbing against it. The washrag he used to clean him up did barely anything and Sanji _knew_ his jacket was going to have to be professionally dry cleaned if he was ever going to get the smell and stains from it.

“The nearest hotel,” Sanji said with a grimace, wishing he could hold a hand over his nose. Zoro’s breath smelled so strongly of whiskey he was sure it could catch fire.

Zoro groaned and struggled on Sanji’s back but the blonde only tightened his hold over Zoro’s arms, refusing to let him wriggle away. The sound of boots scraping in the gravel again told Sanji he had given up and just let himself be dragged.

___

“Need a room.”

The short, squat woman behind the counter of the small inn looked Sanji up and down, then, being very obvious in her judgment, leaned her body over to the side to get a better look at the man that was leaning over Sanji’s back. 

_“Please,”_ Sanji said through gritted teeth, snapping the woman’s attention back to him. It was already embarrassing enough that his cheeks were flushed from Zoro muttering into his neck and ear the whole way over here, and now he was asking for a room for them?! God, he could just _die!_

“Sure,” the woman said skeptically. “A hundred berries.”

“A hundred?!” Sanji shouted, his fingers digging into Zoro’s forearms. “This place isn’t even worth half that!”

The hotel assistant smiled devilishly. “You two look like trouble. _Pirate_ trouble. Could call the navy…” she said.

Sanji closed his mouth. _She couldn’t know we’re pirates._ “We’re not pirates! We’re too drunk to make it back to camp so we want to stay here for the night.”

“A hundred berries.”

“Sixty.”

“Ninety.”

“Eighty.”

“Eighty- _five,”_ the woman said with a glare.

_“Eighty.”_

“Fine! Eighty,” she said with a huff and held her hand out. Sanji sighed knowing damn well Nami would be angry if she found out how much this witch was charging them and be disappointed in his haggling skills. Balancing the marimo over his back by leaning forward, Sanji fished deep into his pocket and counted his larger coins out until he had enough. He angrily threw them over the counter and yanked a key off the wall seeing it was hanging under the little sign reading **_5_ **, then headed down the hall.

Pushing into the room that matched the key, Sanji immediately headed to the bathroom and set Zoro down on the floor. The swordsman leaned back against the wall with his eye shut tight. “Dizzy,” he whined. Sanji watched the color physically drain from his face as he shot forward and sunk his head into the toilet, each hand clutching the side of the bowl. His back arched, frozen in tension as he dry heaved and coughed up spit. Wincing in pain, he held the wound in his side.

Sanji sunk to the floor next to him and rubbed his back. His skin was burning up. “I’ve never seen you drunk like this, marimo,” Sanji admitted quietly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk, now that I think about it.”

“Fuck,” Zoro started, and spit a glob of phlegmy saliva into the toilet. “Off.”

Sanji huffed a laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Save it for tomorrow. Get it all out so we can start forcing water in you to flush your system.” 

The two sat there on the bathroom floor for another ten minutes while Zoro threw up his stomach and then some. Zoro felt exhausted. He drank for almost nine hours straight, had fists in his face and abdomen, maybe a few chairs broken over his head too, and now was straining every muscle in his body while he expelled everything that ever existed inside him. He was tired. He wanted to sleep for at least twelve days straight. “M’tired.”

“Shower first, then you can sleep.”

“No, jus puttme in the bed,” Zoro said. His one good eye drooped closed as he slowly looked at the blonde. 

Ignoring Zoro’s request, Sanji stood up and grabbed a small disposable cup from next to the sink, filled it with water, and handed it to Zoro. His hand grabbed it fine but when Sanji let go, it dropped to his lap causing the cup to spill over. The blonde groaned as he refilled the cup and squatted in front of Zoro and grabbed his chin, prying his jaw open. “Drink,” he told the other while tilting the cup and Zoro’s head to match. He repeated this four more times until he felt like the swordsman had enough water in him for the moment.

Sanji now pulled Zoro up to his feet and held him while he leaned over the tub to turn the faucet on. He turned the handle up to the hot water and then pulled the small pin to activate the showerhead.

The blonde faced Zoro and then gestured at the bottom half of him which was still clothed. When Zoro only drunkenly stared at him, Sanji pointed again, this time letting his eyes wander down. “Holy shit!” he shouted when he saw the color of the haramaki. He couldn’t tell in the dark back by the bar, but now that he was in the fluorescent light of the bathroom, Sanji could clearly see the thick, green fabric was saturated brown from the mixture of the blood. “You’re bleeding!”

The swordsman looked down, swaying back and forth a little. Sanji gripped his shoulder tighter to balance him. “Yeah, looks like it,” Zoro said lazily.

“Oh my god, Chopper is going to kill me when he finds out I didn’t force your ass back to the ship! You’re lucky I’m doing this for you, you shitty bastard!” Sanji growled. His voice meant business but his face betrayed him by showing how worried he was. There was so much blood and Sanji had no idea what type of wound lay under those wrappings. “Look, get into the shower and clean that out. I’ll redress it when you’re done. Just - just fucking _try_ and take care of yourself right now!”

Zoro winced hearing those words. That was exactly what he didn’t want to do. He had come out here to get drunk to forget what a fucking _piece of shit_ he was. Not be taken care of by the very person he _failed!_

The chef traded places with Zoro and turned him to face the shower so Sanji was now looking at his back. With a deep breath, Sanji reached around Zoro’s waist and untied the sleeves of his trench coat and threw it to the ground. Then he tugged the soiled haramaki up and grunted for Zoro to lift his arms so he could pull it all the way over his head. The gauze already started to wilt without the pressure of the belly band holding it in place, so Sanji took the liberty to unwind it the rest of the way, throwing the remains in the trash.

“You can do the rest, can’t you?” Sanji practically whined, hoping Zoro would get the hint and undo his own pants himself. The steam from the hot water was beginning to cloud the bathroom, the mirror already hazy with fog. 

“M’yeah,” Zoro said. When he dropped his head to look at his belt, he swayed in place, but two hands suddenly were at his shoulders again to hold him still. Zoro rid himself of the rest of his clothes and got into the shower.

“Do you think you’ll be alright for a few minutes while I go to the front desk?” Sanji asked as he pulled the curtain the rest of the way closed. He heard an affirmative grunt and was glad to know he was fluent in Ape-Speak because he was dealing with a real neanderthal.

When Sanji came back to the room, he could hear the shower was still running. Just in case, he slid back into the bathroom and asked how Zoro was doing.

“Marimo? Doing alright in there?” Sanji asked, one hand still on the doorknob. He waited for a response but was only returned with silence. “Zoro?” he asked, worry in his voice. 

Sanji opened up the curtain a smidge and saw the swordsman sitting in the tub while the water pelted his front. The blood from his side was still oozing. Thin, red rivers trailed down his abdomen and down the drain. For a split second, Sanji was afraid he had tipped over and fallen, but in the next breath, he heard faint snoring coming from Zoro. The chef smiled.

Without waking the swordsman, Sanji managed to pull him out, dry him off, and put him in some pajama bottoms he bought from the hotel. Once he was laid on the bed, Sanji jumped in the shower himself to rid the horrid smell of puke from him, then slipped into a pair of pajamas as well.

This was the part Sanji was afraid to do. The blonde stood over a small box he asked for from the front desk and eyed the contents before sighing in defeat. _I have to do it or I’ll be in even more trouble with Chopper,_ he thought.

Sanji climbed onto the opposite side of the bed of Zoro and sat cross-legged after scooting close to him, his knees touching the man’s sides. Sanji placed the box in his lap and pulled out a disinfectant to read the instructions. _Chopper showed us all basic first aid for situations just like this, but it’s much more intimidating when the patient is Roronoa Zoro!_ he thought, beginning to freak out. The small cuts all had remnants of stitches left behind but they were all torn open. The wounds were all haphazardly placed on his abdomen like they were put there in a panic. Each one looked less than an inch and a half wide and were deep. _Knife wounds, maybe? Was Zoro stabbed while fighting in the bar today?_

Saturating a cotton ball in the disinfectant, Sanji carefully placed it over one of the holes in Zoro’s side. The tanned stomach jerked under the touch pulling Zoro awake and his hands instinctively reached to his waist in defense.

“Your swords are over there,” Sanji answered.

Recognizing that familiar smoker’s voice, Zoro relaxed back into the bed. “Oh, it’s you.” Zoro didn’t move out from under Sanji’s care but his eye flicked around the room to access his surroundings. “I’m out of the shower.”

“Yeah,” Sanji said as flatly as he could knowing damn well what Zoro was getting at. It’s not like they hadn’t seen each other naked before! They share bathroom space and bunk rooms!

“And I’m clothed.”

“Yeap.”

Zoro frowned but didn’t press the matter. The chef began rubbing a healing ointment into the wounds and then unrolled a generous amount of gauze. Sanji waved his hand for Zoro to sit up and the swordsman complied. In silence, Sanji wrapped the gauze around and around Zoro’s torso until it seemed protected enough, then he cut it away from the rest and tied the two ends together.

Rummaging back into the first aid box, Sanji took another cotton ball out and added more disinfectant, then grabbed Zoro’s chin and harshly turned it to face him. Zoro glared back but Sanji ignored him and began cleaning out the gash across his forehead. 

“Get this from the bar fights along with the cut on your lip?” Sanji asked, trying to make small talk so their close proximity wasn’t as awkward.

“No,” Zoro said slowly and ghosted his fingers over the wound while Sanji worked. He let his hand drop back into his lap and picked at his nails. “That one’s from Sunny.” Zoro seemed to be thinking back on something, but then he added with annoyance, “And the rest aren’t from those weaklings at the bar. As if they could mark me up.”

That left Sanji a bit confused, making him stop applying the ointment to the forehead wound. “If not from the bar fights, then what?”

“Luffy,” Zoro admitted with a sense of great sadness in his voice. 

Sanji stiffened, remembering the story Usopp had told. “And...why would Luffy do such a thing?” Sanji asked, swallowing back the lump in his throat. The gauze was now being wrapped around Zoro’s head. When he was done, he began dousing another cotton ball in the disinfectant and dabbed it on Zoro’s lip.

“Cause he was angry with me,” the swordsman whispered. “He was only setting me in my place, though. Nothing I didn’t deserve.”

“What happened?” Sanji couldn’t hold back, he wanted to - no, _needed_ to hear it from Zoro. “Tell me what happened,” he asked more desperately. The longer the silence drew on between them, the further Zoro’s head sunk forward. It was obvious he was suffering an inner turmoil. Squeezing a dot of ointment onto his pointer finger, Sanji grabbed Zoro’s chin to lift up and face him again and gently rubbed the cream over the corner of his bottom lip. “Tell me, Zoro.”

The swordsman sat there with his mouth hanging open. “I...I didn’t want you to leave,” he admitted, hardly able to believe he said such a thing out loud. “I couldn’t let you go back to your home.”

And so Sanji heard it straight from the source. Zoro truly didn’t want him to return. “It wasn’t for you to decide my life,” Sanji said softly. He didn’t spit it out in bitterness, only stated a fact.

“I know, but…” Zoro trailed off, breaking eye contact and let his head sink back down. His hands came up to cover the sides of his face and pulled at his hair. The images of what happened were still fresh in his mind, haunting him. Hating himself for being so weak, Zoro couldn’t stop his body from trembling as he fought back tears. “But you didn’t see your face,” he sobbed.

The moment quickly turned to vulnerability. Sanji wasn’t entirely sure of what to say, so he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. “Don’t worry about it. It was years ago and -”

“No,” Zoro growled, his voice muffled as he shielded his crying face away from his _nakama._ “It _wasn’t_ years ago. It was yesterday. And I wanted to give you a better life. I _could_ have given you a better life. You could have had a better childhood…”

“If you didn’t let me grow up, I wouldn’t be able to be with you right now. Aren’t we partners? Don’t we always have each other’s back?”

Zoro whipped his head up to face the blonde at hearing that. “I didn’t, though! I left your side and you were-”

“And it was the best two weeks of my young life,” Sanji interrupted, placing a hand on Zoro’s shoulder for reassurance, giving it a squeeze. 

“You...you remember it?” he asked, and when Sanji nodded, he continued. “You remember being on the Sunny?”

“Of course.”

A wave of blush flushed Zoro’s face. He flinched backward and asked, “What exactly do you remember?! I-I didn’t think you’d have any memories!”

Sanji’s mouth pulled up at the corner in a sly smile. “Oh? Why? You do something you’re embarrassed about?” He leaned forward, closing the short gap between them, their faces inches apart. “Don’t want me to know you have a soft spot for kids, Ma-ri-mo?”

“I...I…! That’s not-!” Zoro stuttered, clearly frustrated. His entire face had turned cherry red.

Enjoying his pull over the swordsman, Sanji did something he had been dying to do for _years_ now. Something he hadn’t done since he was a little kid. Reaching up with his right hand, he let his first two fingers slide from the back of Zoro’s three earrings up to the front, causing them to dangle together and create that lovely chiming noise he’d grown addicted to. Hearing them clink around caused Sanji’s eye to close. “I’ve missed that,” he whispered while sitting straight again.

[ ](https://twitter.com/chow_bii/status/1275972383476600832)

It had taken years to get to this point, but Sanji was patient. After waiting twelve long years to see Zoro again, and then only after a few short months, he was ripped away and had to wait another two...what was another few minutes while he waited for Zoro to speak? So Sanji waited, staring a hole right back into the other.

“I…” Zoro started, his mouth still trying to make words to come out. “I missed you. I missed you a lot...You were such a good kid but the younger you made me miss **_this_ **you. I had never realized how much I relied on you being there on the Sunny next to me every day until you were ripped away from us...from me.”

Sanji was positive Zoro could hear his damn heart beating at the underside of his ribcage. The quiet in the room was deafening. He’d been wanting to hear such words for years and it was finally happening.

Much to Sanji’s shock, Zoro now held his hand up in front of Sanji’s face with hesitance. “Can I?” he asked. Unsure of what he meant, Sanji nodded. Zoro reached out the rest of the way and pushed his fingers into blonde bangs, moving them to the side. Sanji watched with two blue eyes as Zoro’s face melted into a content smile. “Why do you hide your face?”

Definitely positive the swordsman could hear his heartbeat, Sanji had trouble finding his voice at first. “H-habit,” he said and forced himself to swallow. His mouth was dry.

Tan fingers brushed against milky white skin. The two Straw Hats held each other’s gaze for longer than either would have expected possible. Sanji felt Zoro’s calloused fingers slide past his cheek and sink deep into his golden locks at the base of his neck. The way Zoro’s eye flickered down to Sanji’s lips hardly went unnoticed by him. _The moment seems just right,_ Sanji thought to himself. _We both are getting along, showing each other we’re capable of doing so. He’s being surprisingly soft for how beat up he looks. I can feel his grip tightening in my hair, he’s staring at my lips...all he has to do is pull me in…_

With a jolt, Zoro jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. Sanji’s body bounced up and down on the mattress from the disturbance. Retching and heaving could be heard echoing in the small bathroom, Zoro having puked the last of his stomach bile. 

Once Zoro had rinsed his mouth, inside and out, he stumbled back onto the bed with a flop. “I feel a little better, actually.”

“You need to drink more water. Honestly, I don’t know how you have anything left in there to throw up,” Sanji said pointing to Zoro’s stomach.

“It’s just liquid. Didn’t eat anything all day,” Zoro admitted. As if on cue, his stomach made a rumbling noise, crying out to tell the cook it was starving. He winced knowing damn well Sanji was glaring at him, and sure enough, when he glanced over, the blonde was squinting his eyes.

“You drank _all day_ and didn’t eat anything?! No wonder you’re so sick! God, you’re so fucking _stupid_ , sometimes,” he yelled and made his way off the bed. He looked around the room for a shirt but found none. The innkeeper only gave him two pairs of sweatpants and a first aid kit, nothing else. Zoro didn’t wear shirts and his button-up smelled from being in close proximity to the drunken bastard. _Fine, I’ll go without one,_ he thought with a sigh and headed for the door.

“Where’re you goin?” Zoro asked with concern.

“To make you something to eat! Don’t leave this room.”

“Wh- how?” Zoro asked but the blonde had already left. Zoro laid there half propped up on his elbows still staring at the door where Sanji was moments ago. When he had said he hadn’t eaten all day, that wasn’t a demand for food in any way at all! He planned on eating back on the Sunny in the morning as he went this long without anything, he was sure he could make it another eight hours.

Only twenty minutes went by and Sanji was already back with a plate in his hands. Atop it was three perfectly shaped onigiri. Zoro sat up in excitement. “You didn’t have to do that,” he said. He was being honest about it but his face betrayed him. The food looked so damn good that he could cry. It had been two weeks since he had Sanji’s food and here it was right in front of him.

“Yes, I did. Now eat up.” Sanji set the plate down in Zoro’s greedy hands and then took a seat next to him.

“How did you make this?” Zoro asked before taking a huge bite of a rice ball. The middle exposed a warm salmon filling. “And how dib you mage it so fab?” 

“Ugh, don’t talk with your mouthful,” Sanji said with disgust and turned away. “I simply entered the kitchen and made some. It would have been done sooner but the hag at the counter was yelling at me to get out saying how much she hated pirates.” Sanji smiled. “I made her some, too, though. She shut right up.”

Zoro didn’t talk after that, only enjoying the amazing food he’d been given. Something so simple as fish and rice never _tasted_ simple when Sanji made it. Once he swallowed the last bite and licked the salt from his fingers, he set the plate on the nightstand and fell backward. “Oh my god, thank you. Nothing beats your food.”

Sanji’s face lit up bright red hearing such praise again. Everyone on the ship always complimented his food no matter how many times they had it, but Zoro kept his praise on the rare side. So hearing it right now, especially after Zoro had looked so intensely at him while his fingers were tangled in his hair…. _shit,_ Sanji thought. 

Next to him, Zoro was laid back and fighting sleep. His feet were swung over the edge of the bed and resting on the floor and his arms were behind his head. Sanji sat next to him with crossed legs and picked at his nails. He was going to say something but his mind short-circuited when he realized Zoro’s sweatpants were riding so low on his hips that the muscular V-shape was fully exposed. Sanji swallowed back the lump in his throat and pried his eyes away.

“Thanks for coming out here and taking care of me,” Zoro said, pulling Sanji away from his less innocent thoughts. “I didn’t mean to cause anyone trouble, though. I’d have come back in the mornin.”

The blonde slowly turned to face his friend, feasting on the image in front of him. He was glad to see Zoro’s eye was closed. The man looked to be sculpted from marble, every muscle perfectly chiseled out to create the masterpiece of Roronoa Zoro. “Just returning the favor,” Sanji said quietly.

Zoro peeked an eye open for a moment then let it droop closed again. “You didn’t need to. You’d have done the same for me if the situation were reversed. Anyway, we should head back to Sunny.”

Nodding his agreement, Sanji said, “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sure they’re all wondering where you wandered off to all day. I feel bad because Nami-san and Robin-chan probably didn’t get any hot tea before bed. It’s your fault, you know.” Sanji waited for Zoro to bite back but instead he heard the meat-head’s breathing deepen. “Oi, you bastard, you fell asleep that fast?” 

With a roll of his eyes, Sanji mussed his hair back into place, a little embarrassed at the thought of Zoro tucking his bangs behind his ear. Seeing no point in waking Zoro, Sanji got up and flung the blanket over the swordsman before heading over to the small office chair at the desk in the room.

Sanji scooted himself under the desk and laid his head down. He didn’t care if he got shitty sleep or if his back would hurt in the morning. What mattered to him right now was Zoro got some rest and felt at ease knowing Sanji was by his side again.

___

When Zoro woke, the morning sun was bleeding through the blinds over the window. His head hurt like a bitch, feeling close to a hangover, which he _never_ got. For a few beats, he wasn’t sure where he was, completely forgetting he had been taken to a hotel by Sanji.

_Sanji. He’s back! I don’t need to worry about his well being anymore. He’s strong again. Capable again. We can be a team again._

Zoro looked around the room and saw Sanji leaning on the desk fast asleep. It looked so uncomfortable that Zoro could feel a kink in his neck just looking at him! _Why did he sleep at the damn desk! Fucking idiot! I’d have slept on the floor._

Of course, Sanji put someone else before him, just like he always did. It was one of the things that was so annoying about him - and at the same time - so amazing. It really was a good and bad quality to have. Zoro only wished he would sometimes do nice things for himself once in a while. Put _himself_ before others. 

A light throbbing in Zoro’s temple broke him from his thoughts. They really needed to get back to the ship so he could get a good hangover breakfast. Sanji was good at those. 

_Well, obviously he’s good at it. He’s good at making all types of foods._ Zoro smiled and opened his mouth to say something to wake the chef but stopped himself. The happenings of the night before flashed before him and he wondered…?

There was a vague memory of him touching Sanji’s hair. The harder he tried to remember, the more vivid it became. _I can still feel how silky his hair was on my fingers,_ Zoro thought as he peered down at his hand. _I don’t know what overcame me to do that, but what’s more important is why didn’t he stop me? Where was the hard kick to the head?_

 _It felt right to do it, though,_ Zoro reasoned with himself. The Sunny’s chef was special to him, he knew that. He was his best friend, his other half. It had never occurred to him, though, if Sanji felt the same towards him. _He didn’t recoil at my touch, maybe he feels the connection between us, too?_

Zoro smiled and pulled himself off the bed to stand next to Sanji. Taking a deep breath, he leaned down and ever so carefully moved the hair that hid his face. “Hey,” he said gently. Sanji’s eyes squeezed tighter but he didn’t wake. Zoro rubbed his thumb over his cheek and said his name. “Sanji.”

Blue eyes were suddenly staring back at him. Zoro dropped his hand quickly and took a step back before he got too embarrassed. _God, why did I do that! He’s not a kid anymore!_

The blonde sat up and stretched his arms up into the air. “Argh,” he moaned, a hand slapping to the back of his neck. “Fuck, my neck hurts.”

“Your fault, idiot. Should’ve slept on the bed!” Zoro said, gesturing behind him. 

“As if I’d get any sleep next to your snoring ass!” Sanji immediately snapped back, already falling into their usual banter.

“Yeah, yeah, shaddap. Let’s head back, I’m hungry.”

Sanji scoffed but stood and began gathering his things. The two of them managed to find a reusable bag in the closet and stuffed their shoes and dirty clothes inside to wash back on the ship. Hand on the doorknob ready to leave, Sanji looked back to see Zoro tying the strings on his sweatpants and then heaving his katanas over his shoulder. He flicked his head upward signaling he was ready and together they left.

The cook felt strange. He felt...light, like his body was defying gravity. Something about last night felt so intimate and it was almost like something had changed between them. _Nothing even happened, really. I guess for us two it’s a lot seeing as how we’re always at each other’s throats._ Sanji smiled at the innkeeper as he handed over the key and first aid kit to return and glanced at Zoro as they headed towards the exit. _He seems okay now. The apathetic look on his face is gone and is replaced by his every day stony emotion._

Zoro gripped his swords to shoulder the door open and winced at the bright sky. He held the door open until Sanji passed through then let it fall closed. When he looked out, they were surrounded by dozens of men, all pointing their guns at them.

“Good morning, sleepyheads!” one guy called out and pulled the trigger. There was a loud _bang_ and Zoro didn’t think it was possible, not after all of the bullshit he went through. But on the off chance he was right, he looked to his partner on his left.

“Well shit,” Sanji said as he dropped the bag to the gravel at his bare feet. Zoro stood frozen as he watched Sanji place a hand over the hole in his shoulder. “That’s no good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoooo, what y'all think?! Let a girl know!


	9. Same Sleepy Sanji, Just Bigger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit is soft as FUCK up in here.

Time seemed to stop for Roronoa Zoro. 

Not moments ago, his life had started to get back on track to where it was supposed to be. Sanji had made it to adulthood and wasn’t mad at Zoro for sending him back to his shit home, he was all sobered up, his wounds weren’t throbbing for his attention, and he and his other half were on their way back to their traveling home. Zoro planned on apologizing to everyone and beg Luffy for his forgiveness. It was his priority the moment he stepped foot on the Sunny, even before he saw Chopper.

Not moments ago, he was cracking jokes towards Sanji as they walked to the front counter of the inn. The bright smile the blonde wore ever since he was a tiny child, even with all the shit he had gone through, the trauma Zoro could only imagine. His smile was so wide, so blinding. Even the early morning sun didn’t stand a chance when compared to Sanji.

None of that mattered at the moment, though. What mattered was the blood pumping in time with Sanji’s heart, it pulsing out of his shoulder and down his pale chest. It was coming out too fast!  _ It had to hit the main artery for it to be bleeding that much,  _ Zoro assessed.

Darting his one good eye around he counted thirty-one men, thirty-two if he included the man who thought he could sneak up from behind and take him by surprise.  _ Twenty-seven have guns, the rest have swords.  _ Zoro heard steel being pulled from its scabbard behind him.  _ Good, another sword. _

“Well?! Is that them?!” a female voice sounded from the doorway. It was the innkeeper of the hotel.

“Yeah, sure is,” the man who shot Sanji said. He stepped forward with a cocky smile and continued speaking. “Heard The Pirate Hunter was in town but couldn’t find ya. Got a tip this mornin.” The man flicked his head towards the old woman. Zoro’s eye twitched.

Sanji pulled a cigarette out and lit it up. The trembling hand did not go unnoticed by Zoro.  _ He’s losing too much blood. _

“Came to collect!” one of the guys shouted, aiming his gun for Zoro and pulled the trigger. Two more guns went off from various angles.  _ Three bullets,  _ Zoro thought as he dropped Wado and Shusui to the ground and pulled Kitetsu free from its confinement. It was as if the air around them had gone dark even though the sun was still rising higher and higher above them. Before jumping out to deflect the bullets, without turning, Zoro sliced the head off of the man who raised his sword behind him. 

The bullets were stopped with ease. One man down, his head had rolled towards Zoro’s feet at his right. Blood pooling.  _ It doesn’t matter how many times they come, I won’t let anyone touch him! _

“Don’t kill them, Marimo,” Sanji said coolly, smoke leaving his mouth as he spoke. “It’s not their fault their brains aren’t fully developed.”

He was smiling. Zoro was stunned to see Sanji  _ still _ smiling even though trouble never stopped following him. Zoro gave a curt nod of his understanding and without hesitance, Sanji launched forward to plant a bare heel into the leader’s face. There was an ear-splitting  _ crack  _ as flesh met bone, the man’s jaw shattering instantly.

Only now did Zoro hear the old innkeeper woman crying out in horror. The swordsman joined Sanji by taking care of the men at hand, hitting each one with the blunt edge of his sword, even though Kitetsu _screamed_ to taste their blood. It was hard enough to control his own emotions and with Kitetsu beckoning him to murder every living being in sight, he had to reign in the bloodlust.

Before they could even work up a good sweat, the men were down. Zoro clenched his teeth together to stop himself from freaking out when he saw Sanji’s entire front covered in red, his body painted in a sheet of blood that he never deserved. 

In a shaky breath, Sanji said, “We should probably get this looked at.” The blonde pointed at the hole in his shoulder and slightly swayed back and forth as he made his way back towards Zoro. “Hopefully Chopper has my blood type stocked up...gonna...prolly need some of that…”

Zoro closed the distance between them to catch Sanji right before he stumbled onto his face. “S RH negative, right? We have tons of it. Let’s go.”

“Eh? How do you…”

“You were a trouble magnet as a kid. Chopper didn’t want to take any chances, especially after Fishman Island,” he said absentmindedly as he balanced Sanji in his arm while he grabbed his swords. He leaned down to grab the bag full of their clothes and shoes only to hesitate, his hand hovering over the handles.

“Marimo?” Sanji asked, noticing Zoro was thinking of something. 

The swordsman asked Sanji to stand on his own for a second and when Sanji was clear of him, Zoro turned towards the woman who owned the hotel. She was so small, shaking in her slip-on shoes and clutching the doorframe. He lifted his sword above his head to ready himself. Behind him, Sanji shouted for him to stop but it was too late. Zoro swung his sword down and a razor-sharp pressure of air split the hotel in two from the ground up and clean to the other side breaking the entire building apart. The old wood creaked and a few things inside fell, loud crashes filling the air around them. He spat at the ground, at the old woman who had turned them in.

The innkeeper had crawled away in tears that her business and life were ruined but Zoro couldn’t care any less. In stride, he grabbed the bag and Sanji, pulling him into a bridal carry and began jogging away towards Sunny, following the cook’s guidance.

___

“Chopper!” Zoro yelled out as he approached the docked ship. He hoped the little doctor wasn’t out in the city somewhere because Sanji was looking worse. His skin was paler than he’d ever seen.  _ How much blood has he lost?! _

A head poked over the side of the ship to see what was going on. It was Brook. “Zoro-san? What’s wr- oh my god! CHOPPER!” he yelled and left from view.

Zoro jumped up on the ship, dropped the rest of the shit in his hold, and ran to the infirmary where Chopper was on his way to as well. 

“What happened?!” he asked, trying to access the situation. It was hard to tell what was going on because both men were covered in blood.

Placing Sanji on the bed, Zoro spoke as quickly as possible. “Gunshot to the right shoulder. I think it hit an artery because he won’t stop bleeding.” Zoro’s voice cracked as he said the last sentence. His eyes felt wet. Obviously Sanji was going to be okay because he was in good hands but it didn’t stop Zoro from thinking the worst.

_ He’s an adult again, this shouldn’t be happening! I should have left the hotel first, I should have been shot in his place, it should have been me. If I wasn’t trying to be nice and hold the fucking door open for him, I could be here instead. I should have been on alert, I should have been ready. _

“Zoro!” Chopper said for the third time, pulling the man from his self-hatred. “You should leave. You’re too wound up!”

Taking a deep breath, Zoro backed away from the bed and sat in the waiting chair so he was still close to Sanji. “I’m sorry. I’m fine now. Just...please hurry.”

___

Zoro waited next to the bed until Sanji was able to regain himself. Just as he had thought, Sanji was fine the moment he was back on the Sunny. Of course they had his blood-type stocked up! As rare as it was they never left an island without making sure his type had ten bags in the waiting. If there was anything less, Chopper was always sure to get more. Zoro wasn’t worried about him getting the replacement blood, no, it was the artery he was afraid for. 

Chopper was a doctor, not a surgeon, and this required precision Zoro wasn’t sure hooves could handle. He stayed in the room to make sure if the reindeer needed anything he was there at the ready. The fixing and sewing had taken a less amount of time than Zoro had expected, but it was still hours later when Chopper finally looked up at him with a bright and cheery smile saying all was well.

Zoro’s shoulders visibly sagged with relief hearing it was over. He helped Chopper clean up the room and only when Sanji had been fully taken care of did Zoro accept any treatment from his doctor. His head wound was looked at and retreated and the stab wounds in his gut were restitched nice and tight, Chopper  _ daring  _ them to split open again.

The entire time, Zoro had to hear the reindeer nag and berate him for being so selfish with his body, annoyed he wouldn’t let Chopper treat him for over twenty-four hours! He had said he wanted to be mad at Sanji for not bringing Zoro back after he was told about his drunken state but shrugged it off. Zoro couldn’t help but smile at the young doctor. His level of caring never stopped, just like Sanji.

All patched up now. The wrappings around Zoro’s head were simplified to a small bandage over the cut in his forehead, and the gauze around his abdomen was replaced with a large patch to cover the holes. Zoro asked if he could bathe with these and Chopper had permitted him. Said he had long ago invested in better gauze and bandages that didn’t lose their adhesive when wet. The swordsman was thankful to hear that because he was eager to rest in the bath for an hour or so.

After Chopper had left, Zoro stayed behind wanting to be there when Sanji woke up. The man on the bed stirred as his sedative wore off. The pain medication in his system made his body feel numb and heavy. “Marimo,” he said quietly, not at all surprised to find Zoro stayed with him. He looked like shit. All the blood that he had on him was dried up now and flaking off in some spots, in addition to his earlier wounds, which Sanji noted were redressed by a professional doctor now.

“Sanji,” Zoro breathed, hurriedly getting up from his chair to meet the blonde at his bedside.

Sanji smiled. “You sure say my name a lot now.”

Zoro froze, his hands clenching the sheets. “I-I don’t. I didn’t say-!”

“Relax, baka,” Sanji laughed. With a slight struggle, he set himself up with help from Zoro. “I didn’t say it was a bad thing.”

Hearing Sanji’s voice was enough to make Zoro run a thousand miles right now. His chest swelled with excitement, his hands ready to reach out for the blonde.  _ He’s not a kid anymore, though. I can’t treat him the same.  _ The urge inside to  _ touch  _ and  _ feel  _ Sanji was trying to overcome the idea of putting on a front that he didn’t care - because he did care.  _ I can’t help it,  _ Zoro thought and fought against his instincts to treat Sanji the way he did two weeks ago. 

“I’m glad you’re alright,” he eventually said, trying to distract himself.

“Course I’m alright. It was just one bullet,” Sanji reminded Zoro.

Which was true enough for the swordsman. It was only one bullet and the Adult-Sanji could probably take five more and still live. The immense amount of blood had startled Zoro into remembering just how fragile his kid-self was. How he had worried for two fucking weeks straight that the damn kid was going to die in some way and it would be all Zoro’s fault.

Instead of fighting any longer, Zoro pushed himself between Sanji’s legs and placed both his hands over pale cheeks. Their faces were inches apart, their breath mixing together. Zoro softly laughed. He laughed because Sanji was  _ okay  _ now. As he laughed, he brought their foreheads together and closed his eye in complete content.

Sanji’s eyes, though, were wide open. Shocked from the sudden closeness of the swordsman. His heart was beating and he wasn’t sure if he remembered how to swallow. Breaking him from his panic, Zoro whispered his thanks to him. “Wh-what?” he asked just as quietly.

“Thank you for being strong enough to survive,” Zoro elaborated.

Sanji wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. Zoro was holding them together and Sanji didn’t know what was appropriate for the moment. He wanted, more than anything, to angle his head ever so slightly so their lips were aligned…

Instead, Sanji lightly wrapped his hands around Zoro’s wrists and sighed. “Yeah.” Zoro laughed again and opened his eye to look into the glassy blue one. The two stayed like that for what felt like an eternity and eventually, Zoro loosened his hold and raised his head, but was stopped when Sanji tightened his grip on the other’s wrists.

Zoro looked back at him with a questioning look, waiting to see what Sanji wanted, but even he didn’t know. He couldn’t kiss Zoro, that would be preposterous. Even though he had fallen for the man long ago, Zoro only saw him as his best friend, and he would respect that.

Realizing he had no reason to keep Zoro close, he dropped his hands and Zoro walked towards the door. “I’ll get Chopper.”

___

On his way to the lavatory, Zoro passed Luffy. “Captain,” he said with pain lining his voice. He had to apologize now. Any longer and he would feel even more ashamed of himself.

Luffy got to his feet and stared at Zoro from under the brim of his hat. The shadow that fell across his face always reminded Zoro of the man he had become, the man he had been forced to be after the rude awakening on Sabaody Archipelago and Marine Ford. His boyish looks had hardened, and so had Luffy. The swordsman felt the weight of his stare and knew he barely deserved this much forgiveness at all.

As Luffy’s First Mate, his right hand, his friend, his family, Zoro didn’t believe he deserved this much. How many times can he fuck things up before his captain has had enough? How many times can things go wrong because of Zoro before it’s  _ too many times?  _

Patiently waiting, Luffy stayed silent, but it made it harder for Zoro to speak. Multiple times he tried opening his mouth to begin his apology, nothing but air came out. A few deep breaths later, he tried again.

“I’m sorry, Luffy. I’m sorry for disobeying you. It was wrong of me to want-”

“It’s fine,” Luffy said with a smile as bright as the sun above them. A rubbery hand reached up and gently felt over Zoro’s scarred eye. The swelling had gone down a little bit but it still showed the remains of being pummeled by none other than Monkey D. Luffy himself. “I’m sorry, too,” he said and rubbed his thumb over the vertical scar as if trying to soothe the emotional pain along with the physical. 

Without another word, Zoro hugged his captain, knocking his hat off his head. It gently slipped onto his back and held on by the thin strings. Zoro buried his face in Luffy’s shiny black hair while his captain returned the embrace ten-fold. The swordsman smiled.

Zoro was glad that Luffy had forgiven him. Of course he would have, but it didn’t mean that Zoro felt any better about it. He had stepped out of line and fought his captain for something he believed in. _Which is probably why he forgives me so easily, because I_ **was** _fighting for something I believed in,_ Zoro thought. _Luffy could tell Sanji meant a lot to me._

**_Means_ ** _ a lot to me. He still does. Will always.  _

With his haki, Zoro could feel Sanji on the move above him, so when he and Luffy parted, he looked up and saw the blonde making his way towards the bathroom. “Thank you,” Zoro said to Luffy and left for the bunk room to grab a change of clothes. The sweatpants he wore were crusted with Sanji’s blood and he couldn’t wait to take them off.

Entering the lavatory, the water in the tub was filling and Sanji was already sitting on a small stool with a towel in his lap, hand reaching for the removable showerhead. He didn’t need to turn to see who it was joining him as he felt the swordsman coming his way long before the door even opened. Zoro stripped of his clothes and pulled a stool up to sit behind him.

Sanji didn’t know why Zoro sat behind him rather than next to him, but his confusion was answered when Zoro grabbed the showerhead from his hands. “Let me?” he asked softly. Sanji couldn’t find his voice so he only nodded and let Zoro take the lead.

Water rained down on Sanji while a strong hand scrubbed through his long, blonde hair. Once it was fully wet, Zoro handed the head back to Sanji and asked for the shampoo next. Sanji wanted to stop him, wanted to lash out and say he was being weird, but how could he when this was more than he could have ever asked for? He’d been wanting to get closer to Zoro and now that it was happening, he wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Just as he did over the few weeks when Sanji was a child, Zoro took the liberty of taking care of the ship’s cook. It was easy for him to fall back into that habit as it was only two days ago when he had carried Sanji in his arms to the kitchen to make breakfast. This routine he had grown accustomed to had become important to him and Zoro was happy Sanji was letting him continue.

Squeezing a generous amount of shampoo into his hands, Zoro worked the soap into Sanji’s hair. He made sure to take his time, rubbing the pads of his fingers over the scalp in small circles. The other groaned and relaxed while his head was massaged.

Once the shampoo was rinsed, Sanji was prepared to begin washing his body. He figured Zoro would want to clean himself next but was instead surprised to feel arms wrapping around his middle stopping him from doing anything more.

Zoro didn’t speak, only gently laid his chin atop Sanji’s shoulder. He gave a light squeeze of affection and hummed a breath of laughter. The two sat there like that for a while, neither speaking, the only movement was when Sanji had placed his arms over Zoro’s.

“Hand me the soap and sponge, will you?” Zoro said quietly without lifting his chin or letting the blonde go.

Turning halfway around in the Zoro’s hold, Sanji said, “Wh-what? No, I can do the rest myself.”

“I want to, though,” Zoro said calmly but firmly.

Sanji couldn’t fathom why he was being so nice, why he would go this far for him! Surely this was too embarrassing, right?! Sanji looked to his right and Zoro’s hand was there, outstretched and waiting for the supplies he asked for. Taking a deep breath, Sanji reached for the sponge, grabbed his favorite body wash, and handed them over.

Zoro had asked him to rinse his body while he lathered up the sponge. After Sanji hung the showerhead up, Zoro immediately got to work. The sponge went in circles on his back, careful to avoid the bandage that was wrapped around the left shoulder. Sanji had to admit that it felt amazing to have someone wash him. Had he ever gotten a bath that wasn’t by a servant of the castle? And when they had washed him, it was never this delicate, never this careful.

Suddenly, Zoro grabbed the stool Sanji sat on and turned it around so the two faced each other. “Wh- no, I can do the rest!” Sanji stammered and adjusted his towel on his lap, but fell quiet now that he was face-to-face with the swordsman.

The man wore a look of determination lined with worry, silently pleading with Sanji to  _ let him finish what he started.  _ Giving another nod for him to go on, Sanji watched Zoro begin washing up his front. Gentle hands grabbed his arm, rotating it to get every inch, then to the other arm. 

Sanji noticed Zoro was washing him as if he were taking care of one of his swords. Each stroke of the sponge seemed to go as slow as he would while he grazed a stone across a blade to sharpen its edge. The feeling Sanji had in his chest was...honored?

_ No, no that isn’t the right word,  _ Sanji thought. 

Zoro moved to a leg and pulled it up onto his knee to rest so he could get the length of it. Starting at the foot and making his way up a toned calf until he was eventually circling Sanji’s muscular thigh. The sponge left a plume of suds as it was worked in circles. The way Zoro didn’t even flinch when the sponge met the fabric’s edge of the towel made Sanji realize the feeling he was currently experiencing. 

_ I feel loved.  _

Zoro gestured for the showerhead when he was done and while he rinsed Sanji off, the blonde could only stare at him in awe. It didn’t matter if the love was platonic or not. Love was love, and Sanji had never experienced it before. 

That damn geezer and his mother loved him - there was no question about it. But there was nothing  _ physical  _ there. His mother was bedridden his whole life, she never once was able to hold him tight, her arms always too weak from sickness. And Zeff? By the time he made it to him, there was no need to be bathed by someone else, he had already grown up by then. No hugs from the old man, or anyone else for that matter. The love he got from Zeff was unspoken, something that was never said, just always known.

Zoro, though, was different. As the water washed away the soap, Sanji remembered how  _ warm  _ he always felt as a child when he was near the green-haired man. How he would crawl into his lap and stick his tiny, cold hands in his haramaki, then fall asleep to the sound of Zoro’s even breathing.

That warmth Sanji remembered is still right here, right now. The intimacy between the two at this moment had Sanji on the verge of tears. He had always wanted to be loved like this. Not in a million years would he have ever asked for it - no, never! He’d spend his dying breath making sure everyone around him was comfortable and set before he even attended to his own needs. And Zoro was doing just that, washing Sanji thoroughly before himself. The blonde looked Zoro over, seeing all the dried blood from that morning still caked to his front. A small smile formed at the corner of his lips as he realized the other didn’t even wet himself to rid of it while he had the showerhead in his hand, even now, as he continued rinsing Sanji. He made Sanji his priority.

Zoro told him to finish what he couldn’t get and then to get in the tub. Without a word, Sanji listened and when he finally eased himself into the hot water of the tub, he watched Zoro. With Sanji all clean and taken care of, finally, Zoro began washing his hair and body.

Leaning over the edge of the large tub, Sanji reached for the smokes he set on his change of clothes. Quickly sparking up and tossing the lighter back down, he relaxed back into the water with his elbows over the back. His cigarette was halfway gone when Zoro stepped in and sat down next to him.

The swordsman lifted his arms to rest on the edge of the tub, his elbow, forearm, and wrist all right against Sanji’s, who was painfully aware there was plenty of room to his left where Zoro didn’t have to sit so close, yet he chose this proximity anyway.

After taking a long drag of his cigarette and holding the smoke deep in his lungs, Sanji exhaled towards the ceiling of the bathroom. In the corner of his eye, he saw Zoro inhale the smell. Remembering the incident when he found out Zoro had stolen his cigs, Sanji got the idea to reach over and hover the cigarette right in front of Zoro’s mouth.

“Here.”

“Hm?” Zoro asked, opening his one good eye to see what was in front of him. He was busy trying to shake the dreadful weight after feeling the scar that still managed to cover Sanji’s right foot. While he washed the underside of it, he had thought over the years the skin would have healed it over, but what did he know about burned skin? Zoro shivered at the memory of Kid-Sanji telling him about it until Adult-Sanji brought him back again.

“Take a hit,” Sanji prompted and touched the butt to his lips, his fingers grazing Zoro’s smooth chin.

Raising an eyebrow, Zoro looked over at the blonde. “I don’t smoke, you know that.”

Sanji returned the cigarette to his own mouth and sat back against the tub with a shrug. “Just thought you’d want one since you smoked mine while I was gone.”

Next to him, Sanji felt Zoro stiffen for a split second, only to follow it up with a sigh of what seemed to be defeat. “Yeah, I did have a few. It was like…” his voice trailed off and Sanji wondered if he planned on saying anything else. “Nevermind, it’s dumb.”

Sanji flicked his hand against Zoro’s. “Just say it, shit-head.”

Zoro looked down at their hands that were rubbing against each other. The bones of their wrist, the side of their palm, their pinky fingers...all of it was touching. “I think I was having some sort of withdrawal or something. Like, my body craved the nicotine that had always been there because of you, and when you were gone - well, the adult you was gone - but... I missed it,” Zoro finished quietly. His hand covered over Sanji’s and gripped it tight while he turned to look at the blonde. “I missed you, Sanji. Even though you were right here on the ship with us the whole time, I missed you.”

_ His hand is warm,  _ Sanji thought. All of this attention was starting to make him feel dizzy. Sanji could hardly believe that a mere two weeks of babysitting turned this stoic meat-head into a pile of gooey mush! 

“Shit! Incoming!” Zoro released Sanji’s hand to cover up his junk below the water and pulled his knees up to his chest. Sanji’s head whipped towards the door in a panic as he quickly stubbed his cigarette out and followed suit by cupping his hands over his crotch for protection.

The door burst open to let a blur of red zoom through. It jumped in the tub and laughed as water went everywhere. “Shishishi!!! I waited long enough!” Luffy said and began entangling himself over Sanji. The blonde pulled his legs up to further shield himself all while shoving Luffy off, yelling for him to at least wait until he was out of the bath. “No! Now!” he whined.

“Oi, oi!” Zoro said and grabbed the back of Luffy’s shirt and pulled him into his lap. “Let’em breathe, will you?”

While the captain and First Mate struggled against each other, Sanji made his escape and started to towel off before getting dressed. 

“You’re always hogging Sanji!” Luffy shouted before sitting in the middle of the tub with a huff. He crossed his arms and legs to pout. 

The cook’s eyes darted to Zoro to see his reaction. The swordsman’s face was beet red with embarrassment, even as he grimaced at his captain. “Oh my  _ god,  _ you motherfucker! I do NOT!” he shouted and launched at Luffy, ducking his head under the water.

Each time Luffy managed to force himself above the waterline, he shouted, “Sanji-hogger!” and then was immediately shoved back under to shut him up. 

Sanji could feel his cheeks burning up, too. He knew Zoro spent a lot of time with him when he was a kid because he experienced it first hand but it was so many years ago that he must have forgotten the severity of the bond they had formed. Hearing the various crew members, Usopp, Robin, and now Luffy, all saying things like this had him feeling just as embarrassed as Zoro.

Once his suit jacket was on, he tucked his cigarette pack into the breast pocket after he grabbed one out. Flicking the flint on the lighter a few times, he lit up another cig and sucked in harshly to calm his nerves. “Will you two quit it? You’re gonna cave the damn floor in,” he said while exhaling. He set the stick to sit in his mouth while he buttoned his jacket, then plucked it off his lips to swing around in front of him as he grew impatient. “Oi, are you listening! I’m sure the marimo can learn to share me!”

Zoro froze hearing Sanji acknowledge this weird custody battle that arose. Luffy took full advantage of that hesitancy and pushed a wave of water to smack into Zoro’s face that sent him backward. “Okay!” Luffy said with innocence and hopped out of the tub. He grabbed Sanji’s used towel from the rack and swung it around his shoulders in a horrible attempt to dry himself off. “I came up here to ask you something, though.”

“Oh?” Sanji asked, the cigarette now between his teeth. “Ask away, Captain.” Sanji tried to avert his penetrating gaze from Zoro as he climbed out of the tub and began getting himself dressed. With his trench coat still in the queue to be washed, he decided on some black jeans and a plain white t-shirt that hardly fit him. Sanji wondered if that was one of the shirts he used to wear two years ago.  _ Damn idiot. Does he even realize how much he’s bulked up since then?  _

Luffy was talking but Sanji couldn’t tear away from the muscles trapped under the cotton shirt Zoro wore. Even as the man approached the two of them, he still openly stared. 

“You’ll do it, then?” Luffy asked while bouncing on his heels. 

“Hm? Huh?” Sanji said, shaking his head. “Do what?”

Luffy’s jaw fell open and his brow creased. “You weren’t listening!”

“Not at all,” the cook said with an arrogant attitude. He was trying to play it off but Zoro’s head was cocked to the side with an eyebrow raised.  _ Shit, he saw me.  _

“Did you even hear any of it?!” Luffy asked. “You’re so mean!”

“Alright, I’m listening this time. C’mon,” Sanji said and wrapped his arm around Luffy’s shoulder to guide him out of the bathroom. 

The ship’s captain sighed but started the conversation over again. “I said I was sorry we didn’t have a real party when you were turned back into Big Sanji! Everyone was in a bad mood and it wouldn’t have been fair to you to have a lame celebration.”

Emerging onto the top deck, Sanji listened carefully to Luffy’s apology. Now that he knew what he had originally said, he felt bad that he was ogling the stupid swordsman and tuned Luffy out. “Thank you, Captain. I understand. No need to worry,” Sanji said with a bright smile, and Luffy smiled back just as bright.

“Shishishi! Does that mean you’re up for a party tonight, then?!” Luffy asked. “With lots of meat, of course! Please?!”

This was what Sanji had been waiting for. Providing a huge meal for his  _ nakama  _ always made Sanji happy. “Duh, baaaaka!” Sanji said and knocked Luffy over the head with his knuckles. “I was just waiting for the word.”

___

In the kitchen, Brook helped Sanji prepare for tonight’s feast. Zoro entered after a little while, unable to stay away from Sanji for long periods. Now that he knew Sanji didn’t feel any ill-will towards him, he wanted to be by the cook’s side as much as he was allowed.

Leaning against the wall directly next to the door, Zoro watched with crossed arms as Sanji called out to Brook for the ingredients or tools he needed for the next step in his cooking. The man was no longer the Sous Chef Zoro had met a few years ago. This was the Head Chef of The Thousand Sunny - Blackleg Sanji! It was a relief, honestly, to see the blonde back where he belongs doing what he was born to do. Zoro couldn’t stop a laugh that formed in his chest.

“The fuck is so funny?” Sanji snarled without turning. He continued chopping up an ungodly sized piece of crab meat at an alarming speed. 

“Just thinkin,” Zoro said, another laugh spilling out.

Irritated, Sanji slammed his knife down and turned halfway to look at the swordsman. “Well think  _ quieter, _ shit-head. You’re annoying me.” Sanji returned to his work, his bristles standing up in a huff. He didn’t mind an audience when he worked, it never bothered him - including Zoro. But after what Zoro had done for him in the bath, god, he needed time to think alone without the stupid, meat-head swordsman hovering around him!

One day Sanji was bickering with Zoro, never thinking he’d get anywhere with the man he had fallen in love with and the next god damn day he learned that very man wanted to  _ raise him  _ only to give him a better life! Then the  _ following  _ day, he learned that very man missed him like crazy and ended up abusing himself because he didn’t feel  _ worthy  _ to be in Sanji’s presence anymore -  _ and then the next fucking day again -  _ the very man bathed him because  _ he wanted to! _

_ Even when the marimo got close to my crotch, the idiot didn’t even care. He was the least bit worried that it could have ended up really awkward, instead, he cared for me in the least sexual manner possible.  _ Rethinking about the encounter, Sanji’s hackles stood on end again.  _ What the hell was all that about?! _

Zoro’s laughing once again tore his thoughts away. “Goddammit, Zoro. What are you laughing at?!” he yelled, turning to face the other.

Zoro held his hands out in front of him as if he was trying to play nice and show he was innocent. “Nothing, nothing. Just remembering it wasn’t too long ago that you stood on a chair to reach the counter to cook,” he said. He looked to Sanji and tried to hold a straight face but then burst into another fit of laughter. “And how much you cried because you sucked at cooking!!! You cried so much and hid in that closet to pout!”

By now, Sanji’s face was beet red, his fists balled up at his sides. Brook had backed away deeper into the kitchen to give way for what was to come. Sanji launched forward and kicked a foot out at Zoro to swing it down over his head as hard as he could, hoping he’d crack it in half and his stupid, tiny little brain would seep out! Brook hopped the counter and left the kitchen through the infirmary, scared for his life (at least what was left of it -  _ yohohohoho! _ )

With ease, Zoro dodged while still laughing, clutching his stomach with each step back while Sanji repeatedly brought his heel down to strike. “You looked so pathetic! Crying because you sucked at cooking! A tiny little snot-nosed kid who couldn’t make a god damn grilled cheese!”

“Shut up!” Sanji yelled. The next kick he tried to land, Zoro caught in his fist, his grip tight enough that Sanji couldn’t pull loose. The blonde grimaced at the other, practically growling under his breath.

Zoro’s gaze locked onto a blue eye while he walked forward and pressed on Sanji’s leg, making it go higher in the air the closer he came. By time Zoro stood less than an inch from him, Sanji’s leg was vertical to his body, Zoro’s grip still just as tight as he refused to let him go. 

Sanji was sure to stand his ground. The swordsman may have caught him but that didn’t mean he lost. His balance was impeccable, so no matter how far his leg went up, he didn’t falter. Zoro could bend it further backward past his shoulder for all he cared, it wouldn’t topple him.

“You’re pretty flexible, huh?” Zoro said, breaking eye-contact and tracing up the long, slender leg he held. “Guess I never realized how easily you bend.”

If Sanji’s face was red from before, it was  _ absolute crimson  _ at this point. Instead of being angry, he was now fully embarrassed by what Zoro had _ said so casually! Doesn’t he realize how sexual that sounds?! _

_ Does this mean he’s like...flirting? Is this Zoro’s idea of flirting?  _ Sanji looked at Zoro for answers but the brute was still running his eye up and down the length of the leg while squeezing the ankle.  _ Well, if there's any time to take the next step, it has to be now, right? _ Sanji lifted his chin to look down his nose at the other and said in his best low, husky voice, “If you were looking to get my legs in the air, Marimo, all you had to do was ask.”

Zoro’s eye returned to the chef’s but this time, there was confusion. “Wh...huh?” he asked and cocked his head to the side.

Immediately realizing Zoro was indeed  _ not flirting with him whatsoever,  _ Sanji used this moment as a distraction and broke his leg free, letting it slam on top of the green head in front of him. Zoro used both hands to clutch the sore spot, rubbing it to ease the pain. 

“Oi, oi, I was only joking,” he said as he watched Sanji turn on his heel to get back to making dinner. Zoro made his way over to the bar and sat down. “I was just trying to rile ya up.”

“Well, mission accomplished,” Sanji huffed. 

For the remaining time, Brook never returned to give his help, which didn’t bother Sanji in the least bit. Before this whole ordeal, he made every meal by himself every day anyway. He worked better on his own because this kitchen was  _ his.  _ All the utensils, tools, spices, everything - it was all organized by him to efficiently meet his needs. It was nice to have Brook in here, but he could get things finished faster without him.

Eventually, Sanji forgot Zoro behind him and made up for lost time on the food. The swordsman had watched Sanji cook but ended up falling asleep, his cheek pressed against the bartop while he lightly snored.

Sanji walked around the counter to stand next to Zoro. His eyes traced his sleeping form, watching his back slowly move up and down as he breathed. 

Just on the other side of him was a small carving of  _ Santoryu  _ made by Sanji himself, a little token reminding him of everything that happened those two, short weeks of his seven-year-old self it really did happen. He remembered the reason he doodled three swords. Zoro was the coolest person he knew, and that included a robot man, a talking skeleton, and a reindeer with a medical license. He idolized him. He loved Zoro back then, and now as an adult, he was  _ in love  _ with him. In love with a directionally-challenged neanderthal who only knew how to drink and cut. Sanji smiled and returned his gaze to the sleeping swordsman.

“Oi,” he said, gently kicking the stool he sat on. When he didn’t wake, Sanji grit his teeth with impatience and kneed Zoro in the ribs. “OI!”

“Hah?!” Zoro snapped, lifting his head in a hurry. Rubbing his side, he glared at Sanji. “What you want? I was nappin.”

“Try this,” Sanji said and held a chunk of white meat in front of Zoro’s mouth. Sanji watched him eye it and then look up at him for more information. “It’s crab leg.”

“Oh. Give it here, then,” Zoro said lazily and reached to take the piece of meat.

Sanji pulled his hand away and scowled down at the other. Using Zoro’s own words against him, Sanji quietly said, “Let me?” then brought the meat to his lips. Zoro skeptically opened his mouth, allowing Sanji to place the meat on his tongue, then quickly brought his other hand around to put the end of a spoon in his mouth. “Close.”

Zoro complied, closing his mouth over the spoon. Sanji pulled it backward, revealing a creamy sauce to mix with the crab. At first taste, Zoro’s eye burst open with surprise. The richness of the sauce accentuated the natural salt of the sea in the crab, not masking it but  _ complimenting  _ it. The longer he chewed, his eye eventually closed, unable to ignore the earthy, buttery taste of - “Avocado?” Zoro said around a mouthful. When he looked up at Sanji, he was grinning from ear to ear, nodding and urging him to go on. 

Switching the food to the other side of his mouth gave the immediate electric  _ zip  _ to the tastebuds in the back of his jaw, clenching tight at the tangy taste of - “Lime?”

“Yes, I added extra!” Sanji said, leaning in as he was all too eager to hear what else Zoro thought. 

Zoro swallowed. “That was...perfect,” Zoro breathed. He opened his mouth to continue speaking but stopped short as the aftertaste began to creep up on him. When he looked back to Sanji for an answer, it was as if his reaction was expected.

“Hot, isn’t it?” he asked. Zoro nodded, a smile forming at the corner of his lips. “That’s the kicker! It’s just a simple creamy avocado sauce! You only add in lime, sour cream, cumin, and hot pepper sauce. I always,  _ always _ add in heavy whipping cream though to boost the fluffiness. Wasn’t it super fluffy?” Sanji pressed, inches away from Zoro now. The swordsman put a hand over his mouth to suppress a laugh, making his eyes scrunch up in the corners when he couldn’t hide his smile. “What?” the cook almost whined with embarrassment, his smile beginning to fade.

“You’re making that face,” Zoro said after uncovering his mouth. Sanji stood tall again, almost defensively, unsure of what Zoro was talking about. “The All Blue face. You do it when you’re the happiest.”

A warming sensation let Sanji know his face had flushed from the sudden comment. “Yeah...right,” he admitted quietly as he turned back into the kitchen.

“Hey,” said Zoro, waiting for Sanji to look at him. “The crab still tasted like the sea.” Sanji fully turned with a frown, thinking Zoro was insulting him. “Never had the fishy taste actually be  _ good,  _ but yours was like...it was like…” Zoro tapped on the counter trying to find the right words to describe what he was thinking. He wanted to make sure he conveyed his thoughts accurately. He was no good with words and he was even worse when he was trying to describe food besides ‘good’ and ‘yummy’. “It’s like you took advantage of the salt or...something?”

Zoro must have said the right thing because the All Blue smile returned in a flash, a toothy grin radiating it’s brightness across the kitchen and blinding the swordsman. The cook didn’t say anything more as he was busy with the food, but nothing more  _ needed  _ to be said. 

Zoro stayed awake for the remainder of the time that Sanji put the finishing touches on the feast they were about to be served. He felt content seeing Sanji live part of his dream out by being the best chef there was in the whole damn world - right here on the Sunny.  _ We’re lucky to have him,  _ he thought to himself. His mouth salivated remembering the bursting flavors from just that one small piece of meat. He wondered what would happen if he had more, how much could he handle at once?!  _ God, will Luffy even savor the flavor?! _

The cook twirled around the kitchen, humming to himself with a cigarette dangling from his lips. The fourth batch of crab legs steamed in a giant pot while Sanji whipped up some more dipping sauce, then threw it in the fridge to chill. Replacing the legs for a fifth batch, Sanji then pulled some of the more elegant glasses down after producing a few bottles of wine.

Zoro counted seven glasses. “Oi, you got one too many. I ain’t gonna drink that shit.”

Sanji stopped in front of him to lean over the counter with a sigh. “After tasting my food just a moment ago, you’re  _ still  _ going to doubt my capabilities to pair a perfect wine with it?” Without waiting for Zoro to answer, Sanji worked the cork top open which came loose with a low  _ pop  _ and poured a proper glass. Fingers around the stem, Sanji carried the glass to the counter with the finished steamed crab legs, plucked a chunk off and swiped it in the dipping sauce. Now standing in front of Zoro, he motioned for him to open his mouth again. 

Zoro’s lip twitched in annoyance. “I hate wine,” he growled, turning his face away like the stubborn asshole he was.

“Zoro,” Sanji warned. “You trust me, right?” he asked and he knew he struck a chord because the swordsman jerked his head around to meet Sanji’s pleading gaze.

“With my life.”

“Then  _ trust me  _ when I say you will like this. I’m your personal chef, don’t you think I know your taste by now?”

Hearing it said like that, there wasn’t room for Zoro to argue much further. Quietly nodding his head, he allowed Sanji to feed him once again. After he swallowed, Sanji wasted no time in putting the glass to his lips and waiting for Zoro to grab on.

Zoro growled when the cook forced the glass to his mouth too fast because it clinked against his teeth, but when he drank the wine and let it set in his mouth, swishing it around to gain all the hidden flavors just the way Sanji instructed him, he had to admit he was wrong. “Well, god damn.” Zoro threw the rest of the glass back in one gulp and handed it back to Sanji. “Guess you were right. It was like they were made to go together.”

“It’s a dry Reisling. Goes well with warm crab meat,” the blonde said. “See? I know your tastes better than you do.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro said, lazily waving the cook off. “Your ego is already pretty big without me stroking it, don’t you think?”

“I don’t need you to stroke it. I already know I’m the best.” Sanji removed the cigarette from his mouth to stick his tongue out at the other like the mature adult he was. “Make yourself useful and call everyone in here. It’s done.”

___

All nine Straw Hats sat at the table together for the first time in over two weeks. As always, the cook was the last one to be seated as he was always busting his ass to care for everyone else besides himself. Zoro watched him take the spot he normally occupied, the seat to Luffy’s left and directly across from Zoro himself.

He didn’t even realize how much he had been expecting Sanji to sit next to him instead. The cook sat and then there was a heavy knot in Zoro’s stomach like someone had punched him in the gut. 

“What’s wrong, Swordsman-san?” Robin said slyly in his ear giving him a startle. “Missing the little cook, are you?”

Zoro recoiled and grimaced at her. “Shaddap.” Robin giggled.

In addition to the meat and dipping sauce, there was a medley of steamed vegetables, thick, chunky mashed potatoes, and hundreds of yeast rolls. It was astonishing how Sanji managed to make everything from scratch. It dawned on Zoro how underappreciated Sanji was. He started with the bread dough a little before noon and he worked this whole time...all for what? Twenty minutes of people gorging themselves? That’s it? He works all day at three meals, snacks and drinks in between, and sometimes dessert, but gets nothing in return. Even after being shot!

As Zoro slowly chewed his food, careful to savor every last bit, he thought of what the cook would  _ want  _ in return. Even while stabbing his butter knife into Luffy’s wandering hand to keep him away from his plate, he wondered what Sanji wanted most.

“Oh, Sanji-kun! This wine is  _ perfect!  _ You’re so good at pairing!” Nami complimented, and took another sip.

Hearts for eyes, Sanji swooned hearing Nami say such a thing to him. “Nami-swaaaan! I picked it just for you! I thought of nothing but satisfying your delicate palette, my dear!”

It was then that Zoro had an idea.  _ Nami would be good for him! _

___

Down to the last roll, everyone was stuffed. Chopper cried because his belly had bloated up and Luffy was stuck in place as his fat had wedged himself between the table and chair. 

Sanji tilted his glass back downing the rest of the liquid and placed it down gently on the table. He fished around his breast pocket for his pack of smokes, lit up, and took a long pull to coat his lungs with enough nicotine to satisfy their hunger. Leaning backward in the chair, Sanji balanced himself in place while he exhaled the smoke into the air above them. Then, without even enjoying the entire cigarette while off his feet, he sat up and began to clear the table.

“Whoa, what are you doing?” Zoro asked, abruptly standing and grabbing Sanji by the wrist across the table. “You did enough. Me and Robin will take care of this.”

“Hah!?” Sanji shouted around his cig. “As if I’d let a lady do the cleaning!”

With that, Robin stood. “It’s okay, Cook-san. Let us help you.” Robin gave her trademark, closed-mouth smile followed by a light giggle. 

Still not agreeing, Sanji ripped his wrist from Zoro’s grasp and continued stacking plates and other dishes. “Oh, Robin…” Sanji whispered when two sprouted hands grabbed a hold of his to stop him from doing anything more.

“Zoro-san and I will do the dishes,” she said once more, this time with that motherly tone you didn’t  _ dare  _ disobey. Sanji nodded his head weakly displaying he understood properly this time.

One by one, the crew filtered out of the kitchen and out onto the open deck. Usopp had to roll the captain out on his side because he was still unable to walk by himself. Sanji was the last one to leave, and with great reluctance, he eventually gave up and left with the others - but not before grabbing some finger food for Luffy for later.

“Thanks,” Zoro murmured while setting the dirty dishes into the sink. “He would never have listened if you didn’t insist.”

“I know,” Robin hummed.

It took barely any time at all to do most of the dishes with Robin’s Devil Fruit and Zoro felt a little guilty that he barely did anything. By the time he had gathered all the silverware for her, Robin had all the plates, platters, and serving dishes done and sitting in the drying rack. Zoro shook his head in disbelief while he stored the remaining dipping sauce in the icebox.

Robin leaned against the sink counter and watched as Zoro wiped the table and other counters down then threw the soiled rag in the small container under the sink where Sanji normally discarded them. “All done?” she asked.

The swordsman looked around one last time to make sure they got everything and when he felt like it was up to par for Sanji’s high standards, he gave her a curt nod with hands on his hips. When Robin pushed away from the counter, Zoro remembered something. “Wait!” he said, probably a little more excitedly than he had intended.

“Hm? Did we miss something?” Robin asked and scanned her surroundings. 

“No, I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

This had thoroughly piqued Robin’s curiosity. “Oh? Whatever about?”

Zoro casually gestured to the dining room table for her to sit and once Robin took a seat, Zoro followed. “I know I ain’t all that smart when it comes to -” he stopped to flip his hand over and over while he searched for words. “-uh, a lot of things,” he admitted. Robin giggled but let him continue. “But I was thinkin something earlier and I wanted to run it by you because you’re...uhm. You know, not stupid?”

Robin laced her fingers together and set them in her lap. “Sure.”

“Right,” Zoro started, glad Robin was following along. “Do you think San- er, do you think the cook does a lot for us?”

A smile pulled at the corners of Robin’s lips. “Ah. I see. I can agree Cook-san is very attentive to our needs, yes.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” Zoro said quickly as soon as Robin answered. “Since he is all caring and shit, don’t you think he like, I dunno, deserves something...nice in return?” Zoro finished by picking at a chip in the table, suddenly feeling foolish for bringing this up.

Robin, on the other hand, thought this was very interesting to hear from their fellow swordsman. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Zoro-san. I think Sanji-san deserves to be treated just as well as he treats us. Did you have something in mind?” she asked. One of her eyebrows lifts.

Zoro slowly nods and returns his attention to the women before him. “Yeah, I think I have an idea but I don’t know how to go about it cause I ain’t all that good at that lovey-dovey shit.”

Now both of Robin’s eyebrows were almost reaching her hairline. “W-what?” she stuttered. Zoro looked at her with confusion as he’s rarely heard her lose her cool before. 

“You know, like the romance type of bullshit. I don’t know anything about it so it’s why I came to you. Kinda trust you’d help me out.” Zoro scratched at the back of his neck with an awkward smile, hoping it would persuade Robin to his side.

“Romance?” Robin echoed, still unable to believe her ears. “You are interested in Cook-san?”

This surprised Zoro. “What? What the hell made you think I was talking about me?” he asked, pointing to himself. “I was thinking maybe we should talk to Nami and see how she feels about him. I don’t think that idiot will ever grow the pair of balls it takes to approach her seriously.”

Robin returned her facial expression to her normal aloof manner and tucked away the idea that Zoro did not entirely answer her question, but chose to let it slide. “Ah, you think because he swoons over her that he is interested in being romantically involved with her.”

The swordsman made a sour face and said, “Uh, yes? Isn’t that obvious?”

“Does he not swoon over me, too, though? Does that mean he is interested in being romantically involved with me, as well?” Zoro shrugged but nodded that he thought so. “What about the other women he encounters? Do you think because he gives all women that special attention that he wants to pursue them all?”

“Shit, I guess! I don’t know, Robin! That’s why I fuckin came to you, dammit!”

Robin smiled patiently and rested an elbow on the table to lean her cheek into her hand. “I’d like to make sure we’re on the same page. You are saying because the cook does nice things for the crew all the time, you and I should help him...hmm...find love, to put it simply?”

“Yeah, I guess. Sounds silly when you say it like that, though. I just figured what’s a Love Cook without the happy ending?”

“Hmm. You don’t think that he has already found love?” Robin asks him. Zoro doesn’t speak right away, only searches in the blue eyes for an answer to her question. Outside on the deck, screaming, whooping, and yelling can be heard from the others starting the celebration without them. Each hoot and holler is muffled by the thick Adam wood walls that divide them.

“It sure don’t seem like it the way he twirls around like a goddamn virgin, gettin bloody noses at the first sight of a pair of tits,” Zoro huffed, and rubbed circles over the side of his temple. “Look, are you gonna help me or just say all that cryptic shit like you always do? Didn’t I just start this conversation with ‘I’m stupid, help me’?!”

Robin openly laughed, a hand covering her mouth. Once she settled back down, she beckoned for Zoro to lean closer to her. He rolled his one good eye but did as she wanted. “What if I knew Cook-san wasn’t interested in our dear navigator? That his heart has long belonged to someone else?”

Zoro sat back in shock. “Don’t fuck with me. He loves Nami.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Cause - cause he does the twirly thing like I said!”

Reminding Zoro that Sanji does ‘the twirly thing’ for all women, Robin then encourages Zoro to get to know Sanji better to find out who it is. “That way, you can give him the gift that he wants most.”

Zoro dropped his gaze and wondered  _ what the absolute fuck _ Robin was talking about.  _ Does she honestly believe that Sanji doesn't love Nami? He waits on her hand and foot day in and day out. _

“So?” Robin said, interrupting his thoughts. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re nuts.”

___

The sun had begun to set by now, the sky lighting up everything in a bright orange hue, contrasted against the long, dark shadows across the ship. Franky pulled out the portable campfire and the flames reached high, licking their way to freedom above.

Brook was tuning up his violin off on the side while everyone chatted happily. Luffy had properly digested his food and was back to his normal noodle-arm self. At the sound of the kitchen door opening, Luffy shouted, “ZORO!” and smiled a toothy grin.

On a short, stool-like seat, Sanji sat holding his hands out by the fire. With the sun setting, the cool air blowing off the ocean and across Sunny made him feel chilly even under the suit jacket. When Luffy shouted Zoro’s name, he turned to look over his shoulder. “Bout time you got done. Didn’t think dishes would take that long if Robin-chwan helped,” he pouted.

Zoro grunted his reply and walked over to the railing to isolate himself. He watched his whole crew all together and happy for a few minutes, then turned around to face the ocean and watch the last moments the sun would be visible. As soon as the small sliver of gold sunk behind the horizon, Luffy came up behind him and wrapped his arms tight around his torso.

“Hey, Luff,” Zoro said with a chuckle and raised an arm to look under it at the rubbery man. 

“Come sit with ussssss, I missed you these past two days!” Luffy whined and squeezed his arms to reinforce his request. “Don’t be over here by yerself!”

Zoro told his captain he planned on joining everyone, to which Luffy released his death grip and instead stood beside his First Mate. “I was just gathering some thoughts together, is all. Needed a few moments.”

“Oooooh!!!” Luffy said with wide eyes and his tongue lolled out. “Thinkin about that crab meat?! Wasn’t it good?! I want more! Didja see anymore in there when you were cleanin up?” 

“Ha, no, Luff. We ate it all,” Zoro said and patted his hand over Luffy’s head when his captain sagged with sadness.

“Oh...I guess that’s okay. Anyway, what were ya thinkin about, then?” 

Zoro retracted his hand to run through his own short, green hair. “Ah, nothin really. Just stuff.” Zoro wasn’t sure how much of it Luffy would even understand so what was the point in bringing it up?

“Hahh? ‘Just stuff’? Sounds mysterious. Orrrr maybe not!” his captain said and hung his arms around Zoro’s neck, pulling his feet up so the swordsman supported all his weight. “Tell me, tell me, tell meeeee!”

How was he supposed to deny his idiot captain when he was acting all cute and stupid like this? Zoro sighed. “Alright, alright. You might know the answer, who knows. Sometimes that rubber brain of yours works like a real human’s.” The brunette let go and propped himself up on the railing facing Zoro waiting to hear what he had to say. “Do you think -”

“Not usually,” Luffy quickly interrupted. 

“Oh my god, do you want to hear it or not?!” Zoro whisper-yelled before looking behind him to see if any of the others were listening. Everyone was busy laughing and talking still, but across the fire sat Sanji, who stared straight back at Zoro with his piercing blue eye. Zoro whipped back around in a panic. “I was trying to say...do you think Sanji has someone he loves?”

Luffy laughed and said, “Duh! He loves Nami and Robin!”

“That’s exactly what I said! And-”

“And Chopper, and Franky, and Brook, and me, and even you, Zoro!” Luffy continued. “Sanji is a loving person. He also loves food and-”

“No, not what I meant, Luffy,” Zoro said, waving his hand to quiet his captain. “I mean like, you know, a romantic love. Like, is Sanji  _ in love  _ with someone?”

Luffy’s smile faded and his face grew more serious. “Oooh. I see.” The Straw Hat Captain looked over to his chef who was engaging with Usopp and put a hand to his chin in deep thought. He ‘hmmmmm’d’ for a long time and Zoro began to grow impatient but then Luffy blurted, “Why ya wanna know?”

Zoro’s face crinkled in annoyance that he had to explain himself, it just sounded so childish now! “Cause I wanna talk to that person and see if they share the same feelings. Sanj- uh, I mean, Curly does a lot for us and I was thinkin we could do something in return.” Zoro let out a breath of defeat. “You know, find the Love Cook some love or whatever.”

Luffy burst into laughter and almost fell backward off the railing into the dark sea below. Zoro grabbed his vest and yanked him up until he regained his balance and waited to see why the hell his captain was making fun of him. “Ooooooh! You really don’t know, do you, Zoro? Yer stupid.”

As Luffy still spat in his face as he laughed, Zoro yelled, “That’s why I’m askin! You know what, just forget I said anything.” The swordsman leaned over and rested his elbows on the railing in defeat.  _ Why did I even bother asking this idiot, anyway? _

Eventually, Luffy came down from his fit of laughter. “Okay,” was all he said and hopped down to join back up with everyone else, leaving Zoro by himself.

  
  


___

_...a few minutes prior… _

Sanji watched Luffy hang all over Zoro, no doubt testing the brute’s patience. His captain yanked at his neck, pulling the taller of the two down, whining in his ear. For so long it had seemed there was only one person in this entire world who could make Zoro a pile a mush, and it was Luffy. It became clear, though, that Sanji should now consider himself to be the same exception. 

While Sanji was in deep thought, Zoro had turned around to scan over the crew. They suddenly locked eyes and Sanji didn’t dare blink, but the moment was cut short because Zoro had a look of panic and whipped back around to talk to Luffy.  _ That was odd,  _ Sanji thought.

“Here!” Usopp said excitedly and bumped shoulders with him. The sniper was holding a drink out for him. “You need to loosen up. You’re super tense!” After Sanji took the cup, Usopp clapped his back a few times with a laugh.

“Uh, right. Thanks.” Sanji took his first sip and continued to stare at Zoro’s back in that impossibly tight t-shirt from under golden bangs. “What do you think they’re talking about?” he asked quietly.

“Hah?” Usopp asked and fully turned to face his friend to hear him better. “Did you say something?”

Sanji waited for Chopper to waddle by and hop into Robin’s lap before he repeated his question. “I asked what you thought Luffy and Zoro were talking about?”

The cook flicked his head over to the two crew members by the railing and Usopp followed his gaze. He laughed, gulped on his drink, wiped his mouth off on his wrist, and said, “To be honest, probably you!”

That was exactly what Sanji was thinking but he didn’t think he was being reasonable, only thought he was being self-centered. Zoro’s eye bulged when they made eye-contact and he turned around so fast he thought he’d start spinning in place. It was just a hunch but he couldn’t shake the feeling that his name was being tossed around over there. “What makes you say that?”

Again, Usopp laughed. “Dude, Zoro has been all  _ over  _ you these past two weeks! He was like a total dedicated babysitter and everything!” Usopp giggled a little and threw back the rest of his drink. Sanji watched him make a new one, lean over to check if Sanji’s was empty and when he saw it was hardly touched, he pushed up on the bottom so the cook had to take a drink. “Seriously, drink. You’re stiffer than a board. This party is for you, you know!”

The party was indeed for him. Sanji looked around and loved how Robin tickled Chopper’s furry sides, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes because she had no mercy. Franky and Nami were off to a decent start on the drinking match, Sanji knew Zoro would be upset that he wasn’t included. By the sounds of it, Brook was almost finished re-tuning his violin and would most likely be joining them soon to provide entertainment. They all had a wonderful dinner and were ready to party because he had been safely returned to an adult.

“Yeap!” Usopp continued. “It was either all about you or Robin!”

That grabbed Sanji’s attention. “Excuse me? What’s this about him and Robin?” 

The sniper casually pointed to Zoro’s back and elaborated. “He and Robin seemed to get pretty close while you were gone. If he wasn’t with you, he was with her! Or both, now that I think about it…” Usopp trailed off muttering to himself.

Luffy was bouncing over to them now, shamelessly climbing up Franky’s back to perch. His arm stretched until it met with a little snack Sanji had laid out for him, then recoiled and snapped back into place. Zoro was still at the railing, his back facing them.

Deep in his gut, Sanji felt that he should go over to talk to him but decided against it. The mere mention of Zoro getting close to Robin made his stomach twist in a knot, especially when he thought about them staying in the kitchen together after dinner. Instead, he downed his drink in one go and pushed the cup to Usopp to make him another. “Don’t let me go without a drink in my hands for more than a minute until I pass the fuck out.”

___

_ Neither of those conversations helped me at all,  _ Zoro thought.  _ Robin said Sanji already had someone he loved but it wasn’t Nami...and then I don’t know if I’m thinking straight here, but I feel like Luffy knows who that person is, too. How the fuck could Luffy know if I didn’t know? Am I that oblivious to everyone on the ship that Luffy, of all people, knows something about a crew member that I don’t?! This is coming from the person who falls asleep when he hears anyone’s sob story. This guy doesn’t give a shit what you’ve been through in your past, he only wants your future. This guy knows something about Sanji, something personal, and I don’t. _

Pushing off the railing, aggravation clouding his mind, he returned to everyone around the fire. After that, it was easy to let things slip from his mind and enjoy the party for Sanji’s return. Once he had a strange, mixed drink in his hand from Usopp, Zoro realized he no longer had to keep a clear head to look out for a kid! In his excitement, he swallowed the whole drink. “Blagh!” he said, bringing the cup down to his knee. “What in hell was that?”

The bottles of alcohol at the sniper’s feet all looked like they had some sort of fruit in it and Zoro wanted to throw up just  _ thinking _ about what prissy-ass drink he just put in his body.

“Drink this instead, bro!” Franky said and tossed him a can of beer. Zoro caught it with ease and turned it over to read the label. It was some weird brand he’d never heard of, probably something from that last island they were on. 

“Oh, shit,” Zoro said to himself as another thought occurred to him. “Oi, where is Quillard?”

Nami turned to face him, no sign at all that she had been drinking even though there was a pile of cans littered at her feet. “We let him off the ship while you were gone. Said our goodbyes and Sanji sent him off with a bento, of course.”

“Huh. I...didn’t get the chance to thank him,” Zoro said more to himself but the others had heard. The piercing sound of an ice-cold beer can being popped open filled the air. After she had made Franky match her drink count, Nami returned to ask why Zoro would want to thank Quillard. The swordsman thought it was obvious. “Uh, because he returned Sanji back without us having to threaten him again?” he said and when Nami, Franky, and Usopp stared at him, he added, “And for not making any more trouble by using his power on anyone else.”

Sanji had turned his attention to Zoro when he heard his name, ears pricked. He wanted to engage in this particular conversation but felt like he didn’t belong. This time-frame they were talking about was technically when he wasn’t here, at least not  _ this  _ Sanji. He felt as if he would be intruding if he piped in now.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Nami said with a shrug. “By the way, before he left the ship, he told me to tell you he was sorry, Zoro.”

“Hah? Sorry?”

She shrugged again while downing her beer, then thumbed for Franky to follow suit. “Dunno, he didn’t explain.”

_ Huh. That’s weird. And now he’s gone and I won’t ever get to know what in hell that means.  _ Zoro growled to himself, though he tried to not let it bother him. That guy was a shit-excuse for a pirate with an extremely dangerous Devil Fruit on his hands. It worried him that they turned him loose instead of dropping him off on the Navy’s front porch with a big, shiny red bow wrapped around his fat tummy. Zoro wondered why Quillard would be sorry at all when he and Luffy laid waste to his crew.  _ Whatever. He’s gone and I have Sanji back. _

Zoro stilled. Little droplets of condensation ran over his fist from the can of beer and Zoro watched as they trickled down.  _ What was that?  _ He thought and swallowed back a lump in his throat.  _ What I meant was ‘we’ have Sanji back.  _

___

The rest of the night ended up becoming way crazier than Zoro had expected. Not that he would ever partake in all the games, but Sanji got really into them. As Zoro drank in his spot propped against the mainmast, he watched the blonde let loose and wild out. It’d been a few hours and Sanji didn’t show any signs of slowing down with his drinks. Each time he finished one, Zoro watched Ussop push another in his hand.

“Something wrong, Swordsman-san?” Robin asked cooly. Zoro looked up at her with an inquisitive look. “You’re scowling.”

“Aren’t I always,” Zoro groaned and tried waving the woman away, but to his discomfort, she sat next to him. “Nothing’s wrong, woman. Go away.”

Taking Zoro’s shitty twenty-one-year-old attitude in stride, Robin hummed a giggle around a tight smile. “Watching the little Cook still?”

Zoro’s lip went up defensively at the joke. “M’not. Just happen to be lookin that way,” he said and threw back the rest of his beer, crumpling the can in his fist. An arm popped out of the grass nearby to grab a new beer, then it tossed it over, the green-haired man catching it. “Maybe I was done drinkin.”

“Maybe it was for me and you simply caught it,” Robin said and held her hand out for the drink. 

Zoro gave it over and let his eye scan across the boat to look at his  _ nakama.  _ Franky had taken up his guitar to assist Brook with his songs and since then the entertainment had been louder and crazier, which he didn’t mind. What he  _ did  _ mind, though, was Sanji acting strangely. He never got this drunk, maybe two or three drinks max but this was his eighth cup of the night. Zoro scoffed to himself.

Robin waited patiently for Zoro to say what was on his mind knowing damn well it was only a matter of seconds until…

“So you know who it is but you won’t tell me?” he whined, practically begged. “If it’s not Nami, is it you?”

“Oh, Heavens no!” Robin said and laughed, a hand came up to cover her mouth.

“Then who?! Some mermaid we met back on Fishman Island?” Zoro desperately asked. It went quiet between the two of them and for a moment they sat there watching everyone horse around, raising Hell: Straw Hat Style.

Zoro turned his head to look at the woman next to him. The beer can was resting against her chin just below her lips. Her big, blue eyes were there waiting to connect with Zoro’s and it would have startled him if he hadn’t already felt her staring. “You want to help him that bad, hm?

“I want to make him happy,” Zoro corrected.

“Well,” she said and got to her feet, dusting off her bottom to rid little pieces of grass. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

_ Ptsh, as if I could do that,  _ Zoro thought to himself as he watched Robin slink away. Feeling sleep creeping upon him, he rested his hands behind his head and closed his eye. Completely ignoring the pair of eyes he felt on him, Zoro drifted off to sleep while the crew continued without him.

___

After dozing off for a few hours, Zoro was suddenly woken up by Robin, her hand laid gently on his shoulder. She smiled softly and said, “The fire has gone out and we’re heading to bed. Would you like me to take little Cook-san from you?”

Blinking away the sleep from his eye, Zoro looked around where his crewmates were some time ago. This felt a little like déjà vu to him, like he’d already gone through this with Robin.

Last he remembered, Luffy was tangling his fingers in Usopp’s hair and Sanji had four cigarettes in his mouth.  _ He’s such an idiot,  _ Zoro thought with a smile.

“I take that as a no?” Robin said, interrupting his thoughts.

Zoro snapped his gaze up. “What?”

The brunette pointed her finger at Zoro’s middle with a devilish grin across her face. He followed to where she was pointing and stiffened at the sight of Sanji laying over him! 

The moonlight lit the deck up, highlighting Sanji’s pale skin. Zoro noticed the faintest smile while he slept. _All that partying must have worn him out,_ Zoro thought. Without realizing what he was doing, Zoro’s hand came up to brush golden bangs back to expose his dumb eyebrows.

Robin, already knowing the answer, left to the girl’s room for the night without another word, leaving Sanji and Zoro by themselves.

Awake and staring down at a beautiful blonde, Zoro wasn’t in a hurry to get them to bed. He spent the next few minutes listening to Sanji’s deep breathing while he combed through his soft hair. Sanji had planted himself next to the swordsman but his upper half was in Zoro’s lap, his legs curled around Zoro’s back, and his arms wrapped around his middle. He could feel Sanji’s fingers under his haramaki and was surprised his usually freezing fingers didn’t wake him when they wiggled their way in.

Supposing they ought to head to bed sooner rather than later, Zoro sighed and heaved Sanji up into his arms and stood tall. The blonde stirred a little, his eyes peeking open. “Z-Zoro?” he said sleepily. When the other grunted in confirmation, Sanji readjusted his arms to hold around Zoro’s neck and nuzzled his head into the soft cotton of the t-shirt below him.

Entering the boy’s bunk room, Zoro tried to be as quiet as possible when he laid Sanji into his bed, using the small bit of moonlight to guide his feet across the floorboards. He had a little difficulty because the damn blonde refused to let him go but eventually he pried his arms off him and Sanji landed with a thump in his bunk. The collision made his bed shake on the chains it was attached to, therefore shaking Usopp’s as well. The sniper groaned in his sleep.

Zoro had managed to wiggle the suit jacket off and when he made for unbuttoning the dress-shirt, Sanji started to giggle like a school-girl. Zoro shushed him as he leaned over and tried hurrying before everyone woke up. “Shh! Let me get this off you, dammit!”

Then suddenly, Sanji grabbed the front of his shirt in both fists and yanked him down until their lips crashed together. Sanji moaned into it, snaking his hands over Zoro’s chest to make their way behind his head.

When Zoro’s brain caught up with reality, he jerked out of Sanji’s hold, hitting his head and back on the bunk above him. Usopp groaned again, probably a little meaner this time, but Zoro didn’t notice. All he knew was Sanji had kissed him and was now looking up at him with a drunken smile. Zoro was frozen in his place, his back pressed so hard against Usopp’s bed he was sure he was lifting it up. His heart raced.

Sanji lifted a hand and outlined the scar on Zoro’s chest, right over the shirt as if it wasn’t even there at all, as if he had memorized its exact placement and could do it in his sleep. The two fingers traced over the bumpy skin until they met Zoro’s collarbone, then continued up to his neck and along his strong jaw. Those fingers grazed across Zoro’s bottom lip and then, ever so gently, Sanji whispered, “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😲


	10. Confession

Zoro didn’t know what to think after what just happened. His brain short-circuited the moment Sanji kissed him and then when he uttered those...those _words,_ Zoro’s brain gave up all the way and fried right out. He stared down at Sanji for what seemed like four or five lifetimes while he tried to voice a response, but when Zoro failed to make any noise come out, Sanji’s drunken state took over and he had passed out. The swordsman let out a shuddered breath, hardly able to control his breathing.

 _What the fuck was that all about?!_ Zoro thought as he went ahead and undressed Sanji the rest of the way. The dress shirt was easier to take off without its owner wiggling around. Zoro yanked his prissy shoes off and peeled the pants down to his ankles and then flung them somewhere behind him. _Fuckin idiot mistook me for a_ **_damn woman_ ** _._ **_Damn shit-head_** _put his fuckin mouth on me like I was a_ **_damn dame_ ** _that he twirls around for all the_ **_damn time._ ** _Can’t believe that just happened._

_But there’s no way he mistook me for a woman..._

The swordsman stripped himself down to his boxer briefs and proceeded to flop onto his bed making it and Luffy's sway on their chains. He planned on keeping his face right where it was, mushed deep into his pillow, hopefully suffocating himself because Sanji just kissed him.

_Sanji fucking kissed me._

Zoro rolled over to face the cook, watching him sleep. _Not only did he kiss me, but he said...he said..._

_. . ._

_“So?” Robin said and looked at me with that stupid smile. It’s her ‘knowing’ smile and I hate it. “What do you think?”_

_“I think you’re nuts.”_

_Robin laughed when I said that, but she didn’t shy away from the insult. Before I could stand up to leave, she reached forward and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. I felt uncomfortable and tried to jerk my hand away but the damn woman held on tight. “I said I knew who our dear cook loved, but I also know one other thing.”_

_That got my attention. Finally, she was going to tell me some real damn information. “Well?” I asked impatiently. “Spit it out.” A cunning smile broke out across her face as if I said something that triggered some sort of trap. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long._

_“I know that the person he loves...loves him back.”_

_. . ._

Zoro thought about how he spazzed out asking Robin why the hell they weren’t together then if they both felt the same way towards each other. The whole point of the conversation was for Zoro to help Sanji find happiness because he deserved it but Robin ended up holding out on him again. He was so infuriated when he left the kitchen that he needed to step aside from the party and cool off. That’s when Luffy came up to him to ask what he was thinking about and Zoro hoped to pry the information from him.

 _Now I don’t have to ask around for the answer anymore, though. The cook told me who he loved. Maybe at first it would seem like Sanji mistook me for a woman or something stupid, but after remembering what Robin said earlier..._ Zoro shivered. He didn’t dare to even _think_ his next thoughts in case someone could read his mind. 

The idea of Sanji loving _someone_ who loved him _back_ indicated that _Zoro_ loves Sanji, and although Zoro didn’t deny it, he also wasn’t going to admit it. He’s never been in love before so he doesn’t exactly know what it’s supposed to feel like. What he knows for sure is that Sanji is his best friend and he never wanted to lose him. 

The cook was a strong, independent man who stood up for people weaker than him, which was a hell of a lot of people because Sanji was a force to be reckoned with. He could handle his own, talk trash, and would wipe the floor with his enemy - then turn right around and feed them a meal if they were hungry. Zoro didn’t quite understand his logic but he respected Sanji’s life code, it was something he lived by, and a man that stuck to his word was a man Zoro held in high regard. 

The cook was surprisingly funny, too. His stupid, witty humor made Zoro chuckle behind his back. Even if Sanji wasn’t trying to be humorous, the swordsman appreciated how the man could take serious situations and still make him laugh. And his cooking is beyond this world! Zoro had more than once thought Sanji couldn't be human when he tasted the extent of his culinary capabilities. To make a gourmet meal from scraps still perplexed Zoro to this day. The way he incorporated his fighting style with his day-job was just another way to make Zoro laugh, too. Not in a bad way! He just liked that Sanji named some of his moves after food, too, just like him. Zoro never got tired of seeing Sanji flip onto his hands and spin around to knock over dozens of enemies with his steel-like kicks.

Kicks with his long, muscular legs. No matter how muscular Sanji got, he always seemed to stay slim, the opposite of Zoro. After his training with Mihawk, Zoro beefed out, doubling in size. But Sanji stayed his lithe self and Zoro liked the misconception people got when they looked at him, taking him lightly because of his slender build. Boy, were they wrong. Never underestimate the seafaring cook, Blackleg Sanji.

The most iconic thing about Sanji, besides his smoking habit, was his silly, curly eyebrows. Zoro had made fun of them since day one of meeting the blonde, but when he was finally able to look at Sanji with both of his eyes at the same time, something struck him in his chest and shocked him into confusion, wondering why the cook wouldn’t want to show his face. Sanji had been just a little boy at the time but that didn’t stop Zoro from thinking the kid was adorable with those silly eyebrows. He remembered wondering how it would look on the adult version. _Sure enough,_ when Sanji brought him to that hotel and he reached out to push his bangs out of his face... _sure enough_ he was just as stunning as he imagined he would be. The deepest blue eyes he’d ever seen stared back at him…

 _Aw, fuck,_ Zoro thought, inwardly groaning. _I do love him, don’t I?_

Continuing to watch the cook sleep, Zoro absentmindedly touched the scar that crossed his chest, slowly feeling up in the same manner Sanji did. The ship’s cook was in the exact position he left him in; on his back with limbs sprawled out on either side of the wooden box. 

It was hard to fall asleep after what had just happened to Zoro. Even with the aid of alcohol lingering in his system, he still found it impossible to doze off. Instead, his eye was glued to Sanji’s body. The moonlight made his pale skin glow.

Zoro’s fingers grazed his lips as his mind could still feel the ghosted pressure of Sanji’s mouth on his. He didn’t know how long he lay there like that but it must have been a few hours as the moonlight had moved across Sanji’s body. 

Sanji, at some point while Zoro was zoned out, had turned onto his side and his back was now to the swordsman. A sliver of white outlined Sanji’s body leaving the rest in shadow. The light accentuated every curve on his body. Sanji’s shoulder being the highest point, a deep incline to reach his trimmed waistline, then back up the sharp curve of his hip bone, only to be followed by the length of his powerful, thick legs…

As if Sanji felt the weight of his stare on him, the blonde squirmed around until he was facing Zoro again, then lazily swung his feet over the edge of his bed to sit up. Zoro stared at him while he looked around the flooring for his jacket and pulled out a few cigarettes and a lighter. He figured Sanji’s eyes weren’t adjusted to the dark just yet or he’d have noticed Zoro in his shadow completely wide awake.

Sanji stood and quietly left the room to smoke. Zoro wasn’t sure what he should do. His instincts screamed for him to follow after the cook, but thinking about what Sanji _did_ and what he _said_ made him hesitate. One small thing had made Zoro feel overwhelmed in his head, not knowing if what he felt was considered love or not and at the same time wondering if Sanji meant those words for him or someone else. He decided on going after Sanji, unable to resist the magnetic pull between them any longer.

Seeing the cook sit on the railing made Zoro twitch with worry. The man had his feet propped on the outside of the boat as he leaned over his knees, cigarette lit in his hand. Zoro crossed the grass a little faster than he had planned and when he reached Sanji, he couldn’t stop himself from snaking his arms around his middle. Realizing it was too late to retreat, Zoro leaned his forehead against Sanji’s back.

“Marimo,” Sanji said with a cool, even tone indicating he had slept off the booze. Zoro grunted in reply. “This gonna be a thing you do now?”

Hearing the cook had sobered up made Zoro feel better about him sitting on the railing but he didn’t have the strength to let the blonde go. “Prolly. It’s harder than I thought it’d be. Y’know, to separate the little you from the big you.”

Sanji puffed a few more times on his cig before asking, “Worried?” He felt Zoro nod his head between his shoulder blades and tighten his grip around him. “And why is that?”

“Don’t want you to fall.”

A quiet laugh made its way out of Sanji upon hearing that. “Idiot,” he whispered and looked down at the ocean. “Even if I did fall, look at how calm the water is.”

The swordsman didn’t have to look to know Sanji was telling the truth because he could hear it. The constant sound of large waves always slapping against the side of the ship were absent and have been for most of the night. It didn’t matter, though. “You prolly don’t remember, but you fell into the ocean when you were a kid.”

Sanji lifted his head to look at the clear night’s sky and thought back to years ago trying to remember such a thing. A vague image of monstrous waves swallowing the ship over and over reached his mind but other than that, he couldn’t recall much else. “I only remember a really bad storm.”

Zoro knew it was stupid to keep holding onto Sanji at this point so he reluctantly let him go and moved to lean against the railing on his left. He ducked his head between his shoulders in defeat. “You were thrown overboard, along with Robin. You were underwater…for a long time.”

Realizing Zoro was recalling a tough memory, Sanji swallowed the jab he wanted to take and instead said, “It’s alright, stop dwelling on that shit. I’m here now and I can take care of myself.”

Unexpectedly fast, Zoro was in Sanji’s face because the cook just didn’t understand! “I broke your fucking ribs! I could have killed you if Chopper hadn’t come!” Zoro was seething. He held Sanji’s gaze for a beat and then broke away to grab fistfuls of his hair. “I couldn’t stop myself. The only thought I had was _‘live,_ Sanji, _live’_ but your face was turning purple. I could feel your bones crunching under my hands but I didn’t stop. I - _I couldn’t stop.”_

Sanji realized he accidentally dropped his cigarette into the water below as he listened in shock to Zoro’s words. His chest ached for the man knowing he had to live with the strange happenings when he was on the Sunny as a child. “Zoro…” he heard himself say sympathetically. 

Zoro rubbed the palms of his hands harshly into his eyes while trying to control his breathing. “Sorry...it’s just...it’s hard to forget. It wasn’t that long ago for me, y’know?” He felt Sanji’s hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure I’ll stop treating you like yer made of glass in a few days. Need some time to adjust. Sorry if it’s weird.”

Sanji’s hand slipped from Zoro so he could strike up his second cigarette. He took a long drag and blew the smoke into the sky. “It’s alright. I understand.” Sanji debated what he wanted to say next, unsure if he should expose himself now that he knows Zoro was only being clingy because he was treating him like the kid he was so used to taking care of. “I...don't mind.”

The way Zoro’s shoulders relaxed made Sanji feel as if he didn’t say anything too sappy. He felt content now as they sat there in comfortable silence while he finished off his cig. Zoro had climbed over the side of the boat to sit with him on the railing. “Have fun drinkin tonight, then? Never seen you down so much in one sitting.”

Sanji’s mood slightly dampened as he remembered the reason he got sloshed in the first place. Usopp had said Zoro and Robin became close. “Yeah, just wanted to let loose.”

“Oh, you let loose alright,” Zoro said with an exasperated sigh.

Sanji turned to look at his crewmate. “Uh, yeah? Did I do something stupid?” he asked, elbowing Zoro in the ribs. When the other didn’t answer, his face paled. “Oh my god, I did, didn’t I? It was bad, wasn’t it?”

“Hm?” Zoro hummed and looked at Sanji.

“You’re not making fun of me which means it was _really_ bad. Oh my god, what did I do!? You have to tell me! I didn’t pull my pants down or anything, did I?! Did I show my dick to anyone!? Did the girls see me naked!?!?!? Was that it?! Did I strip?!!?”

Zoro wanted to laugh at Sanji’s mini freak-out, he really did. “Nah, nothing like that.”

Suddenly, Sanji’s hand was grabbing Zoro’s bicep in a death grip. “What did I do, Marimo? Will I be able to show my face tomorrow?”

The swordsman didn’t answer. He knew Sanji would die of embarrassment if he knew he kissed a man and would die a second time if he knew that man was Zoro. It was better if he kept that part to himself, there was no need for him to know. Zoro wasn’t positive the confession was for him, he had to be absolutely sure...

“Zoro!” Sanji squeaked.

“Ya didn’t whip yer dick out!” Zoro confirmed, swatting the blonde’s hand away.

Sanji ran his fingers through his hair over and over as his mind raced to think of all the possible things he could have done. He felt so stressed out he wished he brought more cigarettes out with him. He knew to get that drunk was a bad idea. “I want to die just thinking of the possibilities.”

Zoro looked over to see Sanji had sucked his cigarette down to the filter. He chewed on the end as the anxiety ate him alive. Zoro set his hand on Sanji’s back and waited for him to turn his way. “Don’t think too hard, might hurt yourself.”

“Hah? That’s my line!” Sanji said. “And-AHH!” Sanji yelled out after being pushed into the ocean. When he reemerged and spat out a mouthful of water, he started spewing curses between chattering teeth up at the swordsman who was clutching his stomach laughing. “You son of a f-f-fucking bitch! It’s the middle of the n-n-night!”

Following after, Zoro dropped himself into the water next to Sanji. He surfaced and slicked his hair back out of the way. “Nah, it’s almost morning. You were asleep for a while.”

“Th-th-that doesn’t make it o-k-kay!” Sanji shivered and swam closer to kick Zoro in the gut. 

The two fought in the water for a good ten minutes. Each taking turns to dunk each other under and hold them down until the thrashing was too much to ward off any longer. They probably swallowed at least a gallon of seawater between the two of them. After climbing back onto Sunny, they laid on their backs across the grass to catch their breath.

“I hate wearing wet clothes,” Sanji growled.

“Then take’em off,” Zoro said before he could realize what he was insinuating. He whipped his head to face Sanji and both their faces were glowing bright pink. “I-I mean, just replace your underwear with dry ones!”

“I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t push me into the water, you damn algae!”

“You’re the one who said the calm water wasn’t a problem!”

“That wasn’t an _invitation_ to throw me overboard! God, sometimes I don’t think you have a brain at all in that fat head of yours.”

Hardly able to hold his smile back, Zoro looked up into the fading night’s sky, glad to have Sanji back by his side where he belonged.

___

Over the next two days, Sanji had gone up to the crew members individually to see if any of them would tell him what he did while drunk. Zoro knew but refused to tell Sanji a damn thing! They fought over it a few times until Nami knocked them both over their thick skulls to stop wrecking Sunny.

None of the other members revealed anything embarrassing, though. Sure, some stupid stuff, but nothing as bad as the way Zoro was making it out to be.

“You danced a lot!” Chopper said happily. Sanji knew he was a good dancer so there was not anything to be worried about there. Even if he had a few drinks, there was nothing that could hinder his amazing ability to move his body to the music. 

“You laughed at everything I said, even when I wasn’t saying anything funny,” Usopp admitted with a frown. “It was kinda annoying, now that I think about it.” Sanji could see himself doing that and vaguely remembered slapping his knee until it hurt each time he talked to Usopp. _That’s not embarrassing, either._

He tried talking to Franky alone quite a few times but it never seemed to work out. The man was busy in his workshop and Sanji had a cooking schedule to keep. Neither had much free time between them so it wasn’t until two days later after the party when Sanji was able to snag Franky to the side.

“Yoooo, what’s up, buddy?”

“Did I do anything stupid when I was drunk the other night?”

The cyborg put his metal hand to his chin and thought about it. “Oh! Yeah, definitely,” Franky whistled and slapped his huge hand over Sanji’s back, making the other cough from the impact.

“Uh, great. Could ya tell me what it was?” Sanji asked with a wince. _Fuck, here it comes. I finally get to hear what it was but I find myself not wanting to know at the same time! It’s been two days since the party and I’ve shown my face to everyone! What if it’s really bad! God, why is Zoro holding out on me!_

“You wouldn’t stop smokin, man! I tried to get ya to quit but you lit up at least ten cigarettes and smoked them all at once. Not good, bro, not good,” Franky finished with a sad shake of his head.

“Ohhh, heh, right.” Sanji didn’t think that was bad at all. Well, maybe for his health but he was young so he didn’t pay any mind to that. “Right, thanks.”

That was everyone. He couldn’t ask the ladies! What if they were the ones who saw?! Sanji could hardly even stand the thought of them knowing something so embarrassing! _Goddammit_ _, Zoro! If he would just tell me what I fucking did I wouldn’t be so damn anxious!_

___

After dinner had been served and cleaned up, Sanji tried to calm his nerves while washing the dishes. Zoro stayed behind like he had the past two nights and helped him. He wanted to chew the bastard out. “Are you gonna tell me what the fuck I did when I was drunk?” he snapped.

Zoro wasn’t entirely shocked to hear him bring that up again. He was aware of the blonde asking the other crewmembers what happened and Sanji pestered him every few hours about it. Sanji could ask the others until he was blue in the face and he would never gain what he wanted because only Zoro knew what went down. He shrugged. “Prolly not.”

Sanji growled and threw a pile of soap bubbles at him. Of course that moss-head wouldn’t tell him! _He sees it’s eating me up and is probably enjoying watching me come undone! Fucking bastard. This wouldn’t bother me if he didn’t have that_ **look** _on his face when I originally asked him. If he didn’t make it worse by saying ‘you let loose alright’ then it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal! But no0o0o0o0o, he had to be all mysterious and out of character about it! I can handle him poking fun at me, but he clammed up about it. It has to be something bad if even_ **Zoro** _wouldn’t take advantage of embarrassing me even more._

“I hate you. I fucking hate you, Zoro,” Sanji muttered while continuing with the dishes.

“Nah,” Zoro said while handing a clean dish over to be dried. “Even if I told you, it wouldn’t make you feel any better.”

Sanji paled. “Oh my god, it was that bad, then?! It _was_ something bad! I don’t know if I should ever drink again...even though this makes me want to drink myself into a stupor to forget how idiotic I am. Shit, what could I have done?” He whined and weakly punched Zoro in the shoulder. “Just fucking tell me, won’t you? I thought we were friends.”

“Hah? We are, baka,” Zoro said, trying to sound mean but he had to force the sentence out through the sudden guilt he was feeling.

The way Zoro had been soft for the cook had Sanji wanting to play dirty to get his way. He knew Zoro would give in if he played this right. Sanji sagged his shoulders and turned to the swordsman, furrowing his brows to look genuinely upset. “I thought we could trust each other, you know?” he said quietly. Zoro stiffened and frowned as he stared a hole into the plate he was washing. “Friends don’t keep secrets.”

“I’m not going to tell you, Sanji,” Zoro finally said. “So fuck off.” That had a fire burning under Sanji’s ass now. A well-polished shoe drove itself into the back of Zoro’s knees, collapsing him into the counter and making his arms slip into the dirty dishwater. “What the fuck!”

“If you won’t tell me on your own, I’ll beat it out of you!” Sanji growled and launched another kick aimed at a green head of hair. “If you told me, I would stop bothering you! If it’s not a big deal then just tell me already!”

Zoro left his swords in his bunk so he had to defend himself with his bare hands. Deflecting even **_one_ ** of Sanji’s kicks with your hands would shatter the bones instantly, so Zoro coated his arms in Haki and did his best without his weapons. Zoro found it difficult to match Sanji’s intense blows as he was a _swordsman,_ not a damn MMA fighter!

Being pushed back into the dining area the more Sanji laid into him, Zoro stumbled over his own feet. Sanji was quick to take advantage and planted a shoe into his chest, knocking the man flat on his back. He tackled Zoro and entangled his legs around the other’s torso, pinning his arms to his sides. Sanji squeezed with all his might making Zoro groan under the pressure. “Just tell me!”

“I -” Zoro tried to speak but Sanji’s vice-like grip had to have been worse than a damn constrictor. He sucked in a breath and tried again. “I can’t,”

“And why the hell not?!” Sanji said through gritted teeth, squeezing tighter.

“Cause I don’t want to,” _know the truth. I don’t want to find out you meant those words for someone else._

“ARGH! You shitty bastard!” Sanji all but screamed and let Zoro go, kicking him in his head one last time before stomping out of the galley.

___

After three days of torture, Sanji gave in. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to put his pride aside and approach the girls to find out what happened. Beads of sweat began to form on his temples as he imagined all the horrific things he could have done in front of them.

Nami was in her study with her nose deep inside the logbook she kept. Sanji gave a polite knock before entering. “Hey, Nami. I was wondering if I could have a word with you?”

The navigator was surprised to hear Sanji speak to her so calmly without being followed by his horrible attempts of wooing her. Interested in what he had to say, she set her ink pen down and turned in her chair to face him. “Of course, Sanji-kun. What’s up?”

The cook was clearly frustrated. Nami watched him twist his shoe over a knot in the wood while he fumbled over his next sentence. “Well...the celebration we had the other night…” Sanji brought a hand to the back of his head and absentmindedly played with the tag in his suit jacket. “I drank a lot, more than normal, and…”

“You want to know if you made an ass of yourself by doing something you’d most likely regret in the morning?”

Sanji looked up and saw a sly smile plastered across Nami’s face. It scared him. _She knows. She fucking knows._ “Y-yes,” he answered meekly. Her gaze felt like it could laser right through him if she stared any harder. _Shit, I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t want to know what it is!_

Nami waved him away and turned back to her writings. “You didn’t do anything, baka. Now go away.”

Releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding, Sanji felt slightly better. He left Nami to her work and made his way down to the main deck. Even though Nami had told him nothing happened, he still couldn’t shake the dreaded feeling that something indeed _did_ happen. If there wasn’t anything, then why did Zoro act the way he did? It had to be something because the marimo doesn’t ever skip out on a chance to make fun of the cook. _What could it have been?_

“Oh! Robin!” Sanji blurted when the two almost collided as they rounded a corner. “My apologies, dear! I was deep in thought.”

The dark-skinned woman giggled and told him not to worry about it. “What made you so distracted, I wonder?”

Maybe ten minutes ago Sanji would have been too afraid to ask Robin, but now that Nami had cleared things up a little, maybe, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask Robin, too.

The thought of Zoro talking to her in private crossed his mind and he had to suppress a whine as his heart wrenched with pain. Here was the woman Zoro was trying to get closer to, the woman Zoro could quite possibly love. And she was worthy enough for him, Sanji knew that for sure. She was strong in body and mind, funny, scary, and incredibly smart. And this wasn’t even beginning to touch on her looks. She was a goddess and anyone who didn’t think so was lying. _Of course Zoro wants to get closer to her. She’s a former assassin, a total badass, exactly the type Zoro would go for. It’s not like I have any claim over him, I don’t have any right to keep him away from any potential relationships. And they’re more compatible anyway and she is better for him than me and-_

“Cook-san?” Robin said, interrupting his thoughts with a poke on the nose. “Come,” she said and beckoned for him to follow her into the aquarium room. Once inside, she stood in front of the glass watching the various fish swim by. “What has you in such a daze, hm?” she asked, her back to Sanji.

The blonde sighed and bowed his head in shame for his earlier thoughts. He shouldn’t let that shit get to him. _I’ve lived with it this long, what does it matter anymore._ Sanji wasted no time in asking Robin what he had asked everyone else. “I can’t get the idea out of my head that I did something stupid while I was drunk the other night, is all.” 

When Sanji looked up, Robin was smiling at him. “I don’t think you did anything all that bad, Cook-san. It looked to me as if you were only having a good time.”

“Huh. You really think so?” Sanji asked again to make sure. “I didn’t...uhm, expose myself?”

Robin covered her mouth to stifle her laugh. “Oh my. No, not at all. Although, that would have made for excellent entertainment.”

Sanji flopped himself onto the cushioned seating that lined the room and covered his face with his forearm. “God, I don't know what it is, then!” he groaned. “I’ve asked everyone, even _Luffy,_ the most unreliable source next to Usopp, and no one has told me something worth being embarrassed about!”

As she listened, Robin crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side. “Why are you so sure you did something to render embarrassment?”

“Because! Zoro! That stupid idiot!” he shouted into the room, flinging his arms in front of him. Robin asked what Zoro had to do with any of this and so Sanji said, “he said, _‘you let loose alright’_ when I asked him about it and just the - the _tone_ he said it in has been bugging the shit out of me. Sorry for my language, dear Robin,” he finished.

Robin found that to be an interesting story indeed. She knew Zoro didn’t think Sanji sleeping on him was a big deal, it couldn’t be that. Which meant there was something more, something that happened _after_ she had gone to bed and left the two of them alone on the deck. For now, Robin gave Sanji a bit of information that he wanted to hear so badly, something to set his mind at ease until she got the rest of the story. “Do you think he simply meant you ‘let loose’ because you fell asleep on him?” she asked innocently.

Shivers ran down Sanji’s spine causing him to straighten his back. “E-excuse me? I fell asleep in my bed.” _I stumbled into the bunk room and fell into bed. That’s why I woke up there hours later wanting a smoke._

Robin slowly walked towards the cook, shaking her head in disagreement. “How do you think you got there, Sanji-san?”

“I-I walked there myself.”

“Or the swordsman carried you to bed because you were cozied up with him on the deck,” Robin said in a way that Sanji knew was the truth.

“Why didn’t you stop me, Robin?!” Sanji pleaded as if it could change the past. “Did he seem mad? Was he disgusted? Is that why he won’t tell me what happened!?” Sanji’s chest felt tight as he realized this had to be the information he was looking for. This is what Zoro didn’t want to tell him. “How bad was it? I was just leaning on him, right? That’s it?” Sanji whined, hoping to any god that it was something as simple as him accidentally bumping shoulders.

“Shhh,” Robin cooed, sitting beside Sanji now. “Slow your mind and take a deep breath. Don’t you think if he were mad or disgusted that he would be treating you differently, hm?” Her hand was now rubbing circles over his back to calm him down. “But he hasn’t. He’s the same swordsman.”

Sanji was now leaning forward, his arms resting on his knees while his hands covered his face in the embarrassment he was hoping to never reveal. “How bad was it,” he repeated.

“What do you mean?”

“How was I ‘cozied up with him’?” Sanji mumbled into his hands. He had to know.

“It was quite cute, actually,” Robin said gently, her hand seizing the circling motion. “But if Zoro-san didn’t complain, I don’t think it matters, now does it?”

___

After his talk with Robin, Sanji felt slightly better. Now that he knew the situation, it wasn’t as bad as he initially made it seem. Okay, whatever, so he fell asleep on Zoro, who cares? And Robin was right, if Zoro didn’t fling him off when it happened, then it must not have been a big deal for him, either. Especially if he carried him to his bed.

With the mystery solved, Sanji’s body felt lighter from the weight of the unknown finally being lifted from his back. It was a struggle over the three days to get the answers he needed, but it ended up not being half as bad as he was imagining. The way Zoro made it seem! It was as if he said something he couldn’t take back. 

_And there are things you can do or say while drunk that you will never be able to reverse,_ Sanji thought. Thinking back to his times on _The Baratie,_ he remembered the guys getting shit faced every Sunday night and one guy accidentally spewing racist shit against Fishmen. He tried to make everyone in the kitchen understand that it was only his drunken state that spoke, not the real him! _None of us looked at him the same after that. His true colors had been revealed that night and no matter what he said in an attempt to redeem himself, he couldn’t take back what was said._

At least the only thing that happened was falling asleep on Zoro. That was good, he could live with that. Was he mortified when he first heard what he had done - well hell yeah! But it could have been so much worse. He knew for sure he wasn’t racist, but who knows what else could have fallen out of his drunken mouth.

___

Just as Zoro had predicted, after a few day's time, the worried looks and clingy touching had come to a stop. It had been over a week now since Sanji became an adult. The last time Zoro showed his soft side was three days ago in the bunk room after everyone went to bed.

Sanji heard the swordsman come in after his shift change from watch duty so he feigned sleep. Before settling into his bunk, Sanji felt Zoro’s hand brush his bangs over to the side and run his fingers along his cheek. He could hardly believe Zoro did that and was over the moon about it, but all affection ceased afterward and the two of them were back to normal as if nothing had ever happened.

All was well except for one thing; Zoro and Robin getting closer. Sanji had now personally witnessed them speaking to each other countless times over the rest of the week and it was driving him mad on the inside. Robin would say something and the dumb plant would turn bright red with embarrassment. What on earth would Robin say to him that could make him blush?! Were they openly flirting with one another out on the deck where everyone could see?

The idea of Zoro falling for Robin would have been easier to accept if Sanji’s heart hadn’t been set on him since before they knew each other. The strange timeline that made up their lives allowed Sanji to know of Zoro’s kindness since he was a kid. He grew up longing to be as good a person like him, to be as strong as a person like him. Then once he found out they were the same age, how could that admiration _not_ turn to adoration? The moment he laid eyes on him, his heart was sealed shut and only Zoro could open it. He didn’t _want_ anyone else to open it, his heart was for Zoro only.

Never did he expect Zoro to return the same feelings, it wasn’t entirely about that. What they had together before ‘the incident’ was perfect for Sanji already. Their relationship was already something he was happy with. But - but Zoro falling for someone else? Giving his heart to someone else that wasn’t Sanji? That never occurred to him until now.

Currently, Sanji was finishing dinner and in between tasks, he would glance out the porthole and that’s when he saw Robin and Zoro talking again. He was in high spirits about the dish he was preparing for everyone, but the sight out on the deck made him sink into himself. 

_How could I compete with Robin? Even if I was on the same level as her, I wouldn’t want to go against her. She deserves happiness in her life and if Zoro is the key to that happiness, well, then who am I to try and take that away?_

At the dinner table, Sanji didn’t feel like taking part in the conversations. He decided the wine he served tasted especially delicious when depressed. The world went on around him while he sat there staring at his plate and swished the last swig of wine around in his glass. Luffy had snagged things off his plate like normal, Chopper squealed at the funny things Usopp did, Franky shot-gunned his can of cola to impress the younger boys, Nami berated them, whatever, it didn’t matter.

What mattered was Robin was leaning over to Zoro right now, her hand covering her mouth to hide the whispers she spoke into Zoro’s ear. The marimo’s eye glanced over to him and his face grew pink. Sanji’s chest tightened knowing they would flirt right here at the dinner table.

Part of him felt a little betrayed by Robin. As much as it pained him to feel that particular emotion towards his beloved Robin-chwan, it still felt like a _betrayal_ because Robin knew how he felt for Zoro not long after she joined the crew. She’d always known. Couldn’t she at least do this type of stuff in private to save the torture Sanji was going through? He felt tormented each time he saw her breasts rub against his arm when she leaned in. Zoro swatted her away but apparently, she insisted on whispering sweet nothings to her boyfriend.

How could Zoro resist someone so beautiful? Sanji looked down at his plate and saw it was now empty from leaving it unattended while he was distracted. Oh well. At least he had a few bites of the dinner he was so excited to share with everyone…

The crew started filtering out and Sanji was left alone at the table, unable to find the strength to move. His body felt too heavy and sluggish, weighted down with dread, afraid for the moment when Zoro and Robin became official and announced it to the crew. Sanji reached to the middle of the table and grabbed one of the wine bottles and tossed it back, swallowing the last half without hesitation.

 _I’ve been in love with him for four years now. It won’t be easy to get over him._ Sanji grabbed the other bottle of wine on the table and feeling that it was light, shook it. “Tsh, fuckin figures,” he scoffed and stood to cross into the kitchen for more booze. The liquor cabinet was full of a variety of wines but Sanji was feeling something heavier tonight. Anything to knock him out faster. He’ll just get up earlier in the morning to take care of the kitchen, he wasn’t in the mood to care about it now.

Sanji leaned against the counter and drank straight from the bottle of an expensive whiskey he kept for Zoro when he was being a good house plant. He had overheard Zoro saying he tried a new whiskey that he loved at some random bar on an island so Sanji made a point to carry a few bottles since then. It wasn’t easy to find, either. Very rarely could Sanji get his hands on it, but he’d search each island nonetheless because it made Zoro happy. But tonight, this treat was for Sanji.

The whiskey was stronger than Sanji imagined, the bitter taste going down had his face crinkling in disgust. _I thought the expensive shit was supposed to be smooth,_ he thought while inspecting the label. The words blurred together and then doubled as his eyes crossed. _Shit, that was fast._

Once the bottle was halfway down and Sanji was plenty drunk, the kitchen door opened and slammed closed, giving Sanji quite a shock as he was brought back to reality. 

“OI!” Sanji heard Zoro screech and shake the door handle. When the blonde lazily turned around, he watched Zoro pound on the door a few times before giving up and running to the other side of the dining room in an attempt to pull open the infirmary door. It looked to be locked from the other side because Zoro swore under his breath and let his hands drop to his sides.

The whole thing was weird but Sanji didn’t have the energy to care what the hell was going on. The brute and rubber-idiot must be up to something stupid and Sanji was only a victim in the middle, so he turned back around and continued tossing back the amber liquid.

“You didn’t tell me you were pulling out the good stuff!” Zoro said and came around the counter to Sanji’s side. “Oh, shit, you’re trashed. How much have you had?” Zoro asked and grabbed the bottle from the blonde’s grasp. “Oi, this is almost gone, was this full when you started?!”

Sanji shrugged. Honestly, he couldn’t remember such a useless detail. Whether he had the full bottle or not wasn’t important because either way, he achieved his goal of becoming drunk enough to forget what the hell he was even drinking for in the first place. “Hm?” Sanji hummed. He tried lifting his head to peer into Zoro’s steely gaze that he could feel on him, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the muscular chest in front of him. Apparently, Zoro had shed his coat at some point and right in Sanji’s line of view was perfectly tanned skin with a gnarly scar stretching its way across.

A pale hand lifted so a finger could trace the scar, but it stopped suddenly in its tracks as its owner remembered Zoro was pursuing someone else. _Oh yeah, that’s why I was drinking…_

“What are you doing in here drinkin this shit? It’s not for lightweights like you. One glass would have been enough. Oi, are you listening?”

“It's not good. Thought it’d be good cause it's expensive,” Sanji managed to say and forced himself to meet Zoro’s eye.

“Uhm,” Zoro started. There was a light dusting of pink on his face while he tried thinking of the right words to say. “You alright? You haven’t seemed yourself these past few days, and at dinner...you know, you were quiet.”

Sanji wobbled as he waved his hand to dismiss the idea anything was wrong. “Nah, s’all good. Jus lettin loose again. Maybe I’ll become an alcoholic like you, huh?”

Zoro frowned and stepped closer to the blonde. Sanji watched him cup the side of his face and rub over his cheek with his thumb. His hand was so warm, it felt so good. He closed his eyes to relish the feeling. _I’m sorry, Robin,_ he thought.

“Sanji, what’s wrong?” Zoro asked again, this time more seriously. His voice carried a slightly more demanding tone. The hand on Sanji’s cheek slid to the back of his head and pushed it forward so their foreheads rested against each other. “Tell me.”

The intimate moment was making Sanji’s insides twist into knots making him feel shitty. _Aw, fuck, here it comes,_ he thought as tears welled up in the corner of his eyes. “N-nothing,” he lied with a sniffle. 

“Hey, are you crying?”

“No,” Sanji lied. It was obvious in his voice that he, in fact, was crying. The stuffy nose gave it away. “Yes!” he eventually corrected, the dam bursting, allowing tears to fall. He swatted Zoro’s hand away and buried his face into the crook of his elbow as he wept in front of Zoro. “Yes, I am. Jus lemme be, dammit.”

“I won’t leave you in here alone while you’re like this,” Zoro said and rubbed up and down Sanji’s arms to hopefully soothe him. The Kid-Sanji liked the affection so he tried using that knowledge against the Adult-Sanji. The warm radiating off Zoro was more intoxicating than the liquor Sanji guzzled but it was only making him feel worse deep inside. He tried shrugging out of Zoro’s hold but the brute grabbed a hold of him tightly and shook. “Dammit, Sanji, will you just tell me what’s going on with you?”

Feeling a little childish, Sanji said, “Don’t feel too good when people hold information from you, huh? Bastard.”

“What? Oh my god, are you still going on about that?!”

“No!” Sanji argued. “Thas not it. ‘Sides, I know what happened anyway.” 

Zoro’s grip on the cook loosened. “Y-you do?” he asked. He let his hands drop and looked to the side. 

“Yeah...yer not mad about it?” Sanji found himself asking. Now that it was brought up he was curious to hear Zoro’s thoughts. 

“Well, I mean, _no,_ I’m not mad about it. I guess I was just really shocked.”

“Pfff,” Sanji laughed and gave a good slap to Zoro’s shoulder. “But it's not a big deal, right? It didn’t mean anything. Just casual, y’know? Casual stuff.” 

That was interesting news to Zoro. Interesting and absolutely, terrifyingly _gut-wrenching_ news _._ _But...but Robin had said…_

The past few days Robin had pestered Zoro about Sanji. She told him the cook had come to her to ask what happened the night of the celebration and now Robin wanted to know, too. 

Even when Robin told Sanji what he wanted to hear, she knew it wasn’t the real reason Zoro was holding information out on the blonde. There had to be more so she went to the source to find out.

The damn woman had her stupid ways of worming her way into Zoro’s head and he spilled what went down the moment he laid Sanji down in his bunk. How he pressed his lips against Zoro’s and drunkenly confessed. Zoro had told Robin he was sure it was for someone else, right? 

But Robin said it wasn’t. She said it was meant for Zoro. When he asked for her to explain how she knew for sure, she only teased him resulting in a very embarrassed swordsman. What made it worse is she wouldn’t let it drop, poking fun at Zoro in secret in hopes that he would confront the blonde. Repeatedly, he told Robin he was in no way going to confirm that information. The archeologist had had enough and finally pushed him into the kitchen and wouldn’t let him out, blocking both exits with her stupid Devil Fruit. 

_I technically never told Robin how I felt about this damn idiot,_ Zoro thought as he watched Sanji sway back and forth trying to keep himself upright. _Robin said she knew the person Sanji was in love with loved him back. She didn’t mean me, did she? Hell, even I didn’t know myself until earlier this week! How could she know such a thing? But she had to of known because she said the confession was meant for me...how the fuck did she know before I did?!_ Zoro noticed the tears on Sanji’s face had dried. _Well, it don’t matter what she thought she knew, because she was wrong. The man himself just told me it didn’t mean anything._

“I would have chosen someone way better’n you to sleep on if I were coherent. Must’ve fallen in your lap er something cause algae is a bad...uh, bad sleeping thingy,” Sanji finished rather dejectedly, the alcohol throwing his comeback-game off.

“Huh?” Zoro asked. _What the hell was the cook talking about?_

“It’s okay for guys to fall asleep on each other, iz jus casual stuff, Marimo.” 

“Wait, what?” Zoro shook his head. “What are you talking about?” He waited for the cook to explain what he meant but he only cocked his head to the side while he tried keeping his eyes open. The wheels inside Zoro’s head were turning at an alarmingly fast pace but they weren’t going anywhere. If only hitting the sides of your head helped you think better. “You think the thing I didn’t want to tell you was...what? You layin on me that night?”

Sanji raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. “Yes? S’what I found out from Robin.”

 _That dirty she-devil!_ Zoro thought. _That sneaky fucking woman!_ “That ain't what I was talking about. That’s not it at all.”

“Uhm. So it was something else?” Sanji asked. Zoro noticed he became nervous as the anxiety of the unknown washed over him all over again. “You gonna tell me or still keep it a damn secret?”

He had to tell him now. _I’ll never know if it was meant for me…_ “It happened after that, after you fell asleep on me,” Zoro said after a moment of silence. Sanji paled as he waited to hear what the hell Zoro was about to say. He tried steadying himself on the counter by putting his hands on the edge. “I carried you to bed because you can’t hold your liquor for shit, just like now,” Zoro said and quickly blocked a knee to the groin before continuing. “I set you in your bed and tried to help you undress but you wouldn’t let me. You thought it would be a good idea to...to distract me...by kissing me,” Zoro said with a wince, gauging Sanji’s reaction. After seeing his jaw drop, he added, “and then you told me you loved me.” 

Zoro watched Sanji’s mouth open and close quite a few times before sound came out. It wasn’t a sentence, only a garble of noise and then tears started coming down again. The cook dropped his head and cried until his knees buckled under him. He slid down the side of the cupboards onto his ass and proceeded to bang the back of his head on the wood behind him.

“Hey!” Zoro yelled and crouched in front of the cook to grab a hold of his head to force it to stay still. “Stop doing that! What is wrong with you?” With Zoro forcing his head to face him, Sanji squeezed his eyes shut so he didn’t have to look at him. In his grasp, Zoro could feel Sanji trying to shake his head over and over.

“M’sorry, m’sorry,” Sanji cried. “I didn’t know. If I’d’a known before, I wouldn’t’ve, I'm sure! It was the alcohol!” Suddenly, Sanji grabbed at Zoro’s arms. “M’sorry! Is Robin-chan mad at me? I’d never wanna upset her!”

“What, why would Robin be mad at you?”

“M’so sorry, Zoro, I shouldn’t’ve come between you two,” Sanji said and was now all-out sobbing. He started to bang his head against the cupboard again until Zoro stopped him.

“Stop it, dammit! Why would Robin be mad if you kissed me? What does she have to do with this?” Zoro pleaded, desperate to get to the bottom of this whole bullshit. He had finally, _finally_ confirmed Sanji loved him! The cook wasn’t denying it! Only apologizing for some stupid reason and blubbering about Robin. He shook the cook in his hands to get him to answer him faster.

“She’s got everything to do with this! I kissed’er significant other!” Sanji cried. The tears wouldn’t stop falling.

The situation was so unreal, so utterly unreal that Zoro laughed. He had never been in a more _insane_ situation of drama and he was quick to remember why he never let his emotions get out of control - for this type of shit right here! This was so stupid, Zoro laughed. “I don’t think I’m following you, Curly. You’re apologizing for all that because you think Robin and I are, what, _together?”_ Sanji sniffled and shook his head yes. “You are...so...oh my god, you are so idiotic.”

“Hah?” Sanji said and gave a weak attempt to push Zoro away from him, but Zoro flopped back on his bottom and crossed his legs under him to stare in amazement at the blonde.

“I don’t know what gave you the idea of Robin and me together, but you are very wrong. She’s like an annoying older sister to me! Just like that damn witch is an annoying younger sister,” Zoro huffed. Sanji was coming down from his hysterical crying and seemed to be more level-headed than he was a few minutes ago. “Look, at this point, I’m not even sure what the hell is holding me back from saying it so I’m just gonna,” Zoro said impatiently, and took a deep breath before starting his confession. “Sanji, I love you. I love everything about you. From your god-like culinary skills, to your filthy sailor-mouth, to your curly eyebrows that make no sense. I love how stupid you look sitting on the kitchen floor crying with snot all over your face. I want to fight our way into the New World with you from now until the day Luffy becomes the Pirate King and then forever after that. There is no one, _no one,_ I’d want at my side more than you because there _is_ no one else.”

After Zoro had finished, Sanji’s lip was trembling and the tears had been threatening to fall. “W-what?” he asked, voice cracking.

Zoro sighed. “Don’t make me say it again, shit-head. You heard me!” He crossed his arms and looked away, blush creeping up on his face from the sappy confession.

“So we love each other?” Sanji said, thinking aloud. It couldn’t have been that easy, could it have? Sanji’s misconception of Zoro and Robin had been debunked and now he was left with the happiest of news. “So we love each other?” he repeated.

Getting to his feet, Zoro shook his head in disbelief. He loved a real fool, didn’t he? “C’mon,” he said and held his hand out. Sanji took hold and Zoro pulled him up into his arms. Zoro kept one hand around the cook’s small waist to hold him up and let the other rake through the back of Sanji’s head in his soft hair only to press their lips together for a second time. 

Sanji immediately melted in his hold and grabbed both sides of Zoro’s face to properly kiss the man back. He had wanted this for so long, he never thought it would happen. Kissing Zoro was more than he had ever imagined, it all paling in comparison to the real deal. Zoro’s lips were soft, his tongue strong as it made its way into his mouth. The thought of Zoro’s well-disciplined tongue had Sanji suddenly shaking with desire. Before his mind got too carried away, he pulled away with a gasp. 

“What?” Zoro asked, confused why the blonde stopped.

“N-nothing! I was jus thinkin what you said was pretty romantic,” Sanji said, trying to change the subject while he willed the tent in his pants to go away. 

Zoro made a face and pushed the cook away. “Blagh, I don’t want to say something that prissy ever again. Had no choice cause your drunk ass wasn’t gonna do it!”

Being pushed into the counter, Sanji stumbled around trying to grab on to anything that would support his weight. “Dammit, Zoro,” Sanji said after regaining himself. “You had to ruin the moment? I didn’t even get to tell you how I felt.”

It never occurred to Zoro that Sanji would be interested in spilling out all those frilly feelings, especially since Zoro felt dorky and lame after saying it. Okay, maybe Sanji was into that seeing how he acts daily towards the women. “You don’t gotta tell me,” Zoro started, hoping to avoid any more embarrassing feelings. He wanted to hear what Sanji had to say but he knew the Love Cook was going to make his face turn red and he most certainly wanted to avoid that. “I do have something to ask you, though.”

Sanji looked a little dejected but wondered what Zoro wanted now. He could feel the booze taking less effect. “Hm?”

“That night you kissed me, you did something. You placed your fingers right here,” Zoro pointed to the middle of his chest where the bumpy skin crossed. “And traced up my scar.”

“Alright,” Sanji said, waiting for the rest. He felt a little shy hearing what he did.

“I had a shirt on, though. You were piss drunk but you found my scar on the first try. How did you know…?”

Sanji eyed Zoro’s chest again, this time with less lust. The scar was ragged, dividing Zoro’s torso in two. Sanji reached a hand out and placed his palm flat. Under it, he could feel Zoro’s heart beating fast. He smiled. “I knew about this scar before you did. It’s the first story you told me when I met you and every night you held me in your arms, I traced over it. I know this scar just as well as you do, if not better because I have seen it day after day since you’ve gotten it.” Sanji closed his eyes and felt up the rest of the scar until it reached the collarbone. It was still unreal to him to be touching Zoro like this and to be admitting things he has kept inside for so long. “I’ve loved you since I was seventeen, Zoro.”

Zoro crinkled his brows together. “You mean nineteen?” he corrected, remembering differently.

Sanji’s fingers curled into a fist as he laughed and dropped his hand to place back on the counter behind him. “No, I mean seventeen. I saw your photo in the paper when you started your bounty hunting. I’d forgotten about you for a few years, actually. But that day I saw your grumpy ass face and read you were only seventeen, just like me, and that’s when I started to suspect I had to have been a victim of some sort of time travel because that didn’t make sense, ya know? That night, though...that night I couldn’t get you out of my head. I laid awake almost the whole night thinking about setting out to sea one day just to meet up with the Straw Hat Pirates again...just to be with you.” Sanji ducked his head in shame. “Of course, I could never leave ol’Zeff, the damn geezer. I owed too much of my life to him and couldn’t leave, even if it were to pursue my happiness.”

“Sounds like you,” Zoro interrupted with a half-smile. Sanji didn’t raise his head.

“Yeah, I know. Anyway...since that day, I knew you were the only one I could ever want. I grew up thinking I’d cross paths with a man fifteen or so years older than me. Hell, twenty years, I had no idea how old you were! But you weren’t older than me. You were seventeen, the same age as me. It was like fate had aligned our lives together for a reason.” The blonde looked up to peer into Zoro’s one good eye. “I loved you for so long, but I kept my distance. It was okay to not have those feelings returned, I had fun with you no matter. Until I thought you were pursuing Robin.” Several tears made their way down Sanji’s cheek as he massaged the ache in his chest. “I never knew pain like that.”

Zoro stepped forward to hug Sanji and rubbed his back. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice. I didn’t notice either of our feelings.”

Sanji gave a pitiful laugh but hugged Zoro back. “Yeah, s’alright now.”

Holding Sanji felt good. Zoro liked it. He didn’t want to let go now that he knew it was alright to do so. He pressed his face into the crook of Sanji’s neck and breathed his scent in. It was easier than Zoro thought to admit his feelings. It made him feel awkward saying such soft and mushy things, but now that it was out and over with, he found he could breathe more comfortably. Zoro felt Sanji cringe away every time his breath skittered across the skin of his neck. “Ticklish?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Fuck off,” Sanji said breathily.

“Oh?” Zoro said and raised his head to face the other. “Don’t want the affection, Curly? Have it your way.” Zoro released Sanji and took a step to leave.

“Wait!” Sanji quickly said and grabbed Zoro by the arm. When Zoro met his gaze he turned away with a blush on his face. “I...didn’t say that.” Sanji pulled the swordsman back in front of him and slowly wrapped his arms around his neck. He looked up at him shyly until he mustered up the courage to lean into another kiss. Zoro was more than willing to pick up where they left off, eagerly swallowing the cook whole. Sanji moaned and could feel Zoro’s mouth curl into a smile at the sound of it. He hated how Zoro was winning in this situation but chose to ignore it and instead, savored the moment.

Together they stood in the kitchen slowly and sensually kissing each other. They explored this new territory between them, testing the waters. Zoro inched forward to close the gap between them and pressed up against Sanji’s front, locking him against the counter. Rolling his eyes to the back of his head behind closed eyelids, Sanji slid his hands down Zoro’s back and dug his short fingernails into tanned skin.

The door handle to the kitchen began jiggling like crazy, followed by a pounding. _“SANJIIIIII!!!! SNACKS!”_ came the captain’s muffled voice. _“No, I've waited long enough, Robin!”_

Reluctantly, Sanji broke free from Zoro’s hungry mouth. “I’ve gotta feed that kid,” he said fervently, almost panting.

Zoro didn’t let the cook go, instead peppered light kisses down Sanji’s jaw and neck and whispered, “Why, it was just gettin good.”

 _Shit,_ Sanji thought, silently damning that shitty rubber brat who sounded as if he was going to pull the door off its hinges. “Let go, ya damn brute, he’s gonna break through-ah!” Sanji yelped as Zoro licked his earlobe.

“Fine,” the swordsman said as he made to leave. He thumbed over his shoulder while walking away. “Should prolly take care of that.”

Sanji followed where Zoro had pointed, eventually looking down at his pants. _Oh._


	11. Goodnight, Zoro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things gotta get bad before they can get good. Again.

To say Sanji was floating on cloud nine would have been an understatement. Zoro fucking _ loved _ him. The idiot, brutish, meathead loved him and  _ kissed him.  _ With tongue. Sanji shuddered thinking about the electrifying zip that tingled through his body at the thought of Zoro’s body pressed against his own.

They didn’t get any alone time for the remainder of the night after Luffy had burst through the door, but it didn’t matter to Sanji. He had the rest of his life to be with Zoro. Although, he could say he would still have to get used to this new relationship because when Zoro came into the bunk room after his watch shift, before flopping into his bed like he always did, he leaned down and kissed Sanji’s forehead.

The two of them were always at each other’s throat but now it had drastically changed. Ever since his past self was thrown into Zoro’s lap, the swordsman was different. It all worked out in Sanji’s favor, of course, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t strange. He hoped they could still spar like they used to, at least. He liked that.

Something about those two weeks between his past self and Zoro pushed their friendship to the next level. Sanji fell back asleep with a smile on his face as his last conscious thoughts were of the man he loved.

___

The crew lazily crawled into the galley one by one and Robin was the first to arrive in the morning as was normal. She liked to sip on a hot cup of coffee while she read a book. Then it was Brook who would join her and that’s usually when the conversations began. 

Most mornings, Sanji hummed to himself as he cooked because Robin liked to keep her nose deep inside her readings and the chef respected that. If she wanted to engage in conversation then he would have been delighted to do so but, for the most part, she remained silent.

The same went for that morning. Robin entered not long after Sanji had finished a few cigarettes on the deck and began getting things ready. He had a cup in her hand before her bottom touched the chair and he went back to his duties. A prickle at the back of his neck told him Robin would speak to him but she never did. It was unnerving. Sanji knew Robin was aware of what happened in the kitchen last night. He  _ knew _ she had to have been part of why Zoro couldn't leave the galley. He had plenty of time to think about it while he was making something to eat for Luffy. He realized there wasn’t a lock on the galley  _ or _ infirmary door, so why couldn’t Zoro leave? Initially, he had thought Luffy and him were playing games but when Luffy had begun banging on the door to be let in, that told Sanji someone else was interfering. 

In a way, Sanji was thankful for Robin. If not for her, who knows if Zoro would have ever come clean with his feelings because Sanji  _ never  _ would have. Sanji would have most definitely wallowed in self-pity because he was totally convinced the moss-head and Robin were together and already making love under the moonlight nightly. But - in a different way, Sanji still had this strange feeling of jealousy when it came to her. He hated that he felt that way towards such a beautiful and caring woman as her, though he couldn’t help it. Zoro had told him he thought of her as a sister, but when Sanji saw her whispering in his ears over the past few days he felt like he was going to burst in a rage of resentment.

Most of the crew had filed in and were all idly chatting while Sanji finished up. He leaned his hands against the counter and sighed.  _ She doesn’t like him, he doesn’t like her. She helped us come together. Remember that. She’s on your side and always has been. _

Zoro shuffled across the wood and sat down in his normal spot,  _ which is of course next to Robin,  _ Sanji bitterly reminded himself. It’s not like it was anything new. That’s been her spot since the beginning. His unofficial assigned seat was on Luffy’s left, Zoro his right. Nami next to Sanji and Robin next to Zoro. So why does it suddenly bother him so much when he sees them interacting? Is it because Usopp had said they had become close while his adult-self was missing? What went on between them? Sanji decided he’d have to ask the moss-head later because this was just too stupid to keep dwelling over.

Sanji set a stack of plates down at the end of the table for Franky to pass around then grabbed the rest of the mountains of pancakes and fruit. As he was scooting between the bench and the bartop balancing four plates, his eye twitched when Robin was  _ again  _ whispering something into Zoro’s ear, her cleavage growing as she pressed her breasts against his shoulder.

Instead of waiting until he was on his side of the table, Sanji thought to set the plates down on  _ this side _ , breaking from his norm. He didn’t particularly like reaching over people at the dinner table because it was rude, so he always set mounds of food down from the clearing of his own seat. It was easier and there was more room to do so. The blonde leaned over the two to set the pancakes down, separating them from their annoying, private conversation.

“Excuse my reach, Marimo, Robin-chan,” he said as cooly as possibly, but inside he felt smug after successfully breaking them apart. For good measure, Sanji leaned his head down so he was blocking Robin and gave Zoro a delicate kiss on his cheek before making his way to his spot. No one had noticed except for Nami, Luffy, Robin, and of course - Zoro.

When Sanji was comfortable in his seat and started making a plate for Nami, he looked to Zoro to gauge any sort of reaction to see if what he did was alright. He didn’t mean to out their relationship so soon but his possessiveness had entirely taken over. The blonde handed Nami her plate and leaned over to grab Robin’s to do the same. He did all of this while still watching Zoro.

The swordsman was either extremely talented at hiding his emotions or he didn’t even care at all that Sanji had kissed him in front of the crew. Zoro already had a mouth full of pancake and was hugging his plate to protect it from Luffy’s grabby hands. 

Taking a deep breath, Sanji braced himself before looking to Robin when he handed back her plate. Her intense blue eyes were boring holes straight back into him, down to his soul. She was smiling her Knowing Smile and Sanji wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing. He decided on mouthing  _ sorry  _ with an apologetic look. This must have been satisfactory for her because she returned her attention to her book and began nibbling at her breakfast.

“Sanji,” Nami whispered.

“Yes, my dear?” Sanji casually said after giving another glance to Zoro.

“Did you maybe make a mistake?”

That was unnerving. Had he left an eggshell in the batter and her poor teeth crunched down on it entirely ruining her morning all because Sanji was distracted? What did she find? “What’s wrong?” Sanji asked, concerned. He had leaned over her plate to check if he could see the problem himself.

“Did you mistake Zoro for Robin?” 

_ Oh, right, she saw the kiss.  _ Sanji wasn’t sure if this was appropriate to discuss right now. To not leave Nami confused, he simply said, “Not at all.”

The redhead crinkled her face with distaste before looking to Robin who was smiling innocently while reading her book. Nami knew if she was going to get the good details she would have to bribe Robin later. Even with Nami, the damn woman spoke in riddles and mysteries but with the right motivation she usually skipped right to the point. Nami was good at getting what she wanted. She nodded her understanding, even though she didn’t understand at all.

When the food had disappeared and the crew members left to go about their day, two people stayed behind with the chef, and honestly, both were expected. Sanji attempted to leave his seat but couldn’t move out from under Robin’s heavy stare. Zoro spoke first.

“You can leave, I’ll help him clean up.”

The brunette slowly blinked before facing Zoro. “I wasn’t staying to help clean.”

“Uh, then leave?” Zoro said irritably. “God, yer so fucking weird,” he mumbled and pushed away from the table to collect plates and silverware.

“I wanted to know what ended up happening last night,” she said cooly, her chin lightly propped in her hand.

Before Sanji could even speak, Zoro groaned and set the stack of plates back on the table. “Stop asking, will you! It’s so embarrassing.”

“Sanji-san, will you tell me? Zoro-san’s lips are tightly sealed.”

This had to be some sort of test because Sanji was sweating. Clearly Zoro wasn’t upset over the idea of Robin knowing about them, but he also kept the resulting details a secret. Did that mean that Sanji should keep his mouth shut, too? “Uhh, well…?”

Zoro sighed and threw his hands up in the air. “Oh for fuck’s sake! It’s all good now, Robin! You know it is! You know everything! We confessed our undying love for each other and made out. Is that what you wanted to hear!?” Zoro yelled. He was glaring at the woman next to him.

The kitchen filled with a feathery giggle as Robin laughed at Zoro’s outburst. “That’s perfect. I’m thrilled to learn you’re both happy.” Sanji gave a weak smile knowing he didn’t quite deserve her kindness from all the sour thoughts he’d been having against her. He nodded his agreement and she took her leave.

Shivering away the freakiness that made up Robin, Zoro started his duties again. Sanji followed suit by grabbing whatever was left and the two started dishes together. Curious to know what Zoro was thinking, Sanji mentioned the kiss. “You didn’t seem upset with what I did earlier.”

“Hm?” Zoro grunted and handed him a dish to get to the next one in the soapy water.

“When I kissed you in front of everyone. You didn’t seem to mind.”

“Oh,” Zoro said. “Nah, why would I? As long as Captain don’t care then I don’t give a shit about what anyone else thinks.”

“Really?” Sanji asked. He stopped drying a cup and turned to face the other. “You’re okay being open with our relationship?”

Zoro was quiet as he worked a piece of gunk off a plate. When he was done and Sanji didn’t immediately take it to dry, Zoro looked over. “So...you want a relationship...with me?”

Sanji’s brows furrowed. “What did I expect from someone with moss for brains? I don’t know what part of ‘ _ I have been in love with you for years’  _ you didn’t understand, but that usually means they want a relationship!”

The clean plate Zoro held was dripping water onto the floor. He stared at it as Sanji spoke. When he stopped and there was only silence, Zoro looked up. “Yeah, that’s cool,” he said and shoved the plate at Sanji to take. “Sorry, just not good at verbally expressing myself.”

“I know, you’re more a physical person,” Sanji mumbled, ears suddenly turning red at the realization of what he just said. “I-I didn’t mean it like that, I just meant you like to use your swords!”

Slowly, a smirk was growing across the swordsman’s face at the realization that Sanji was  _ easy  _ to frustrate. Their competitive nature was made for this type of shit. One-upping Sanji in  _ sexual  _ ways in addition to fighting was going to be very interesting to explore. 

Last night when he kissed Sanji, closing into his space and pressing their bodies together, it wasn’t long afterward that Zoro could feel Sanji hardening under the restraint of his tight dress pants. It was mind-boggling to learn someone wanted him romantically, and it was  _ the cook  _ nonetheless. The cook who was capable of going toe-to-toe with him without fear of hurting each other, the cook who could crumble a stone building with his legs, the cook who went weak for large, bouncing breasts and not compact, chiseled muscle -  _ that cook  _ got weak in the knees for him. How had he not seen it before? How had he not interpreted all their  _ nakamaship  _ for something deeper?

One memory came to mind that he had always treasured as deep friendship, but now that all this bullshit had been confessed, Zoro felt stupid for not realizing Sanji’s feelings for him, or even worse, his own feelings. After Zoro had taken all of Luffy’s pain back on Thriller Bark, Sanji had accompanied him while he was bandaged from the top to the bottom of his body. He remembered fading in and out of consciousness while Sanji talked to him, or when he didn’t talk, the familiar smell of tobacco filled the silence. Deep inside Zoro’s chest, he remembered feeling more than relieved to learn Sanji had survived. And then the cook placed a hand over his, something more intimate than their relationship ever called for, but Zoro had passed it off as Sanji being overly worried for his best friend. 

Zoro squeezed his hand back. He may have told himself that it was out of companionship or maybe it was out of competition to see who could squeeze harder - but that was stupid. Zoro really did care for Sanji, even back then. 

The green-haired man blinked at the dishes. Sanji was still freaking out over making a small innuendo like a  _ loser.  _ That damn blonde was gonna  _ lose  _ at so many more games and Zoro couldn’t wait to play them all.

Zoro dropped the rag and cup into the sink and pulled the towel from Sanji’s grasp to wipe his hands dry and tossed it aside. “More a physical person, huh?” he said and gave Sanji’s shoulder a push hard enough to make him falter. Sanji scowled with tinted cheeks but knew the swordsman was looking for a fight so he squared up, readying himself. Zoro walked into Sanji’s space and they stared into each other’s eyes to see which would break first.

Eyes flicking downwards, Sanji wondered if this relationship meant he could kiss Zoro whenever he wanted. He leaned in and quickly pressed his lips to Zoro’s, immediately pulling back to see what he thought. Zoro’s mouth pulled up on the side in a wry smile.

A calloused hand came up to grab Sanji around the neck. Zoro harshly tightened his grip, crushing the sides until the other gasped. It was interesting Sanji wasn’t jerking a knee into his stomach to get him to back off, so Zoro curiously let his thumb wander and play with the bottom of the man’s chin, scruffing over the short hair of his goatee while his fingers tightened their hold. Sanji was quick to bear the length of his neck, eager to have Zoro continue. 

Zoro slid his thumb up over Sanji’s pale bottom lip, tracing it slowly, causing Sanji’s breath to hitch as he stared back into a steely grey eye. Zoro pushed his thumb into his mouth to press down on his tongue, sliding it around over saliva. The blonde whined with need.

Zoro chuckled, releasing his hand and gave Sanji a light slap to his cheek. “Didn’t think I’d ever see the day you wouldn’t fight back.”

Frozen in place where Zoro left him hanging, Sanji’s jaw fell slack as he realized the idiot had been only messing with him. “I wasn’t fighting back because I thought - ! I thought!”

“You thought what... _ Sanji?”  _ Zoro cooed, leaning over to the blonde’s ear to whisper. Sanji shivered.

“Nothing, asshole,” Sanji grumbled and snatched the towel back up.

___

The day ended with the Straw Hats chatting around the portable fire roasting marshmallows for dessert. Zoro wasn’t partaking as it was far too sweet for his liking, instead, deciding on dozing off. He sat there against the mainmast, his designated spot, watching everyone talk and laugh and mush sticky fingers into their mouths to clean the mallow off. He and Sanji periodically connected eyes and the blonde would smile at him and Zoro would smile back. It was nice. Zoro was content.

Zoro had been feeling quite warm with the fire and his friends surrounding him, making it easier to fall back into a good booze-snooze until the next loud noise broke him out of his sleep. The whiskey he had been throwing back was gluing itself to his insides and luling him to go night-night.

After Sanji had made sure Nami and Robin had their fill and there were enough marshmallows for Luffy to continue without him, he sat himself down next to Zoro. Whether he woke up or not wasn’t of concern, he was just looking for some easy comfort. Zoro’s light snores indicated he must be extremely relaxed if he didn’t wake to the sound of Sanji approaching. Zoro was overly attuned to his _Nakama's_ movement so it was surprising when the man slept on. That was a comforting piece of information right there, Sanji concluded. Zoro must feel entirely at ease about everything in his life to still be snoring while everyone is moving around him.

Sanji hadn’t realized he had set his hand over Zoro’s knee, casually rubbing his leg through his thick, black jeans. He looked to Zoro when he heard the snoring stop. He had his eye on him. “Sorry if I woke you,” he said quietly and removed his hand.

“S’fine.” Zoro closed his eye again and waited to see if Sanji had more to say. The expression he wore gave the impression he had some things on his mind. “Spit it out,” he groaned.

Sanji pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one up. He gave a long pull and blew the smoke out above them. “It’s nothing, really. Just riding the high from last night.”

“Which part exactly? The part where you and I said stupid shit to each other or the part where you turned into a huge hornball cause I kissed you?”

Unable to hold his jaw up, Sanji’s cigarette almost dropped from his mouth. “E-excuse me?! I d-did not become some fucking  _ hornball!”  _ Sanji hissed, trying his best to keep his voice down.

Zoro chuckled, uncrossed his arms, and leaned over on a hand. “All I have to do is talk real low in your ear  _ like this _ and you start to melt.” Zoro drove the point home by laughing quietly, sending a light wave of air across the surface of Sanji’s neck skin.

Sanji gave another shiver and slapped a hand over his neck to shield it away from the devil next to him. “Will you quit doing that?!”

“See? Total hornball.”

The two of them looked over to everyone else when a roar of laughter drowned out their next thoughts. Luffy and Usopp were busy being dorks and Franky, Brook, and Chopper egged them on. Nami was happily clapping as she, too, laughed at her dumb captain. Robin quietly sat against a chair Brook was in content with watching the things going on around her.

Feeling eyes on her, Robin turned to look at their owner. Sanji gave a weak smile. He knew she knew how he felt about the whispering thing and it made him feel awkward. Bad, even. That shouldn’t be something he has to live with, though, so he made the adult decision and chose to get this straightened out now.

Abruptly getting to his feet, Sanji curled a finger for Robin to follow him and the two went to the bow of the ship. Once they reached Sunny’s lion head, he pocketed the butt of his spent cigarette and began. “Look, Robin-chan, I’ve been an ass.”

The brunette held her hand up to stop him from saying any more. “Me first,” she said. When Sanji realized he wouldn’t be able to get another word in before her, he let Robin speak. “I already know what you’re going to say and I deem it unnecessary. I did what I did to get you two to admit your feelings, which still did not work. I ended up having to force Zoro-san to talk to you. I apologize for what I did. I know it must have not felt very nice at all.” Sanji was looking at his feet, unable to look her in the eye. He nodded his agreement that no, it did  _ not  _ feel nice at all. A small hand cupped his cheek and gestured for him to look up. Robin was smiling, her eyes crinkled closed. “I don’t hold you accountable for the thoughts you may have had against me, Sanji-san. You’re a very kind and loving man. Can you forgive me?”

Sanji placed his hand over Robin’s on his face. “Of course. Thank you for understanding and thank you for… you know, helping us along. I don’t think either of us could have done it without you.” Sanji took a deep breath in and slowly let it out, giving Robin’s hand an affectionate squeeze. “Thank you, Robin.”

She answered by wrapping her arms around his torso in a tight hug.

  
  


The two rejoined the rest of the bunch, no one noticing they had slipped away but Zoro. 

“Get your shit sorted?” Zoro asked without opening an eye. 

Sanji hummed it was better but he wanted to talk to Zoro about it, too. It still irked him that Zoro  _ let her  _ do all those things to him, too. Granted, he swatted her away most of the time but...but... _ Ugh, it still bugs me, though!  _ “I was wondering something, actually, and I was hoping you would explain.” Sanji turned and nudged Zoro to look at him.

Zoro looked down at Sanji’s elbow still on his side, then looked to the blonde who clearly  _ did not  _ get his shit sorted. Deeply sighing, Zoro pulled his knees up and spread his legs. “C’mere,” he said and pointed to the grass in front of him. Sanji was embarrassed but Zoro wrestled him over causing some of the crew to look their way. Sanji covered his face, unable to meet anyone’s gaze. Zoro had been true to his word when he said he didn’t care what the other’s thought because he wrapped his arms around Sanji’s torso and spoke quietly next to his ear. “You liked sitting in my lap when you were a kid,” Zoro slowly started. “It was annoying. Your stupid hands were so cold and you wouldn’t stop touching me but I grit my teeth because it took all but a minute for you to fall asleep. And...you looked happy.”

Sanji slowly let his hands fall to rub over Zoro’s in his lap. The memory of being held by Zoro’s warm embrace was one he would never forget. Most of the details had long been forgotten but some of those special moments stuck with Sanji over all those years and today he knew exactly what Zoro was talking about. It felt strange to hear it from someone else’s point of view.

Zoro ducked his head against the back of Sanji’s shoulder. “Even though I grew to enjoy giving you the happiness you deserved, I still had trouble taking care of you. There were some things I needed help with or...or some advice. And women have better brains than us,” Zoro grumbled, clearly hating that he had to admit this. “You already know I’d rather chop an arm off than ask Nams for help. Plus, I’m sure she would have charged me. So I had to ask Robin.”

Hearing the thought process behind Zoro’s decisions made Sanji feel slightly better, but he still wanted to know more. “Usopp said you and Robin became close…? Did you guys…?”

Behind him, Zoro knocked his head against Sanji’s back and squeezed him tighter. “God, what are you implying? Do you think I like her or something?” he growled.

Lowering his voice and turning so he didn’t have to speak anything above a whisper, Sanji asked, “You don’t?” He could see the top of Zoro’s head on his right shoulder.

“Yeah, I do. I really like Robin, but only as my  _ nakama.”  _ Zoro waited for Sanji to reply. “That’s what you wanted to hear, right? That’s what’s got you all worried?” he asked and raised his head to rest his chin over Sanji’s shoulder. The blonde nodded. “Nah, it ain't like that. I care about her as I care about everyone else on this ship. No one could come close to the connection you and I have.”

That was  _ exactly _ what Sanji wanted to hear. It was comforting to get the last bit of information he needed to feel fully confident in this relationship. When he had completely given up and was ready to hand Zoro over to Robin, he meant it. His happiness meant nothing to him.  _ ‘No one could come close to the connection you and I have’  _ echoed through his mind until he relaxed into Zoro, leaning his body against him and letting his head fall back over the man’s shoulder. Only having to slightly turn his head, he gave a soft kiss to Zoro’s neck. “Thanks,” he said quietly.

They listened to one of Usopp’s stories for a while. He was jumping over seats as he exaggerated all the details but regardless if it were true or not, he was a great entertainer. All his rambunctious tales always had everyone on the edge of their seat or cowering in fear, or laughing hysterically. Zoro felt Sanji silently laughing, his body shaking as Usopp made a very convincing fart noise with his mouth to emphasize the part in the story.

“Did you want to tell the crew then?” Zoro asked and pushed his face against Sanji’s cheek. “Might as well get it over with so there ain’t any weird questions later.”

“Yeah, Nami already asked me at breakfast this morning. Didn’t know what to say,” Sanji said and fished another smoke out of his pocket. A cigarette dangled between his lips as he spoke. “You think Captain will be okay with it?”

Zoro looked over at Luffy who was clutching his stomach as he rolled around in the grass and tried breathing through fits of laughter. Sanji sparked up and blew smoke out in front of them. “I think he already knows.”

Sanji plucked the cigarette from his mouth and sat up to look at Zoro properly. “Oh? How is that?” he asked, smoke billowing out after each word. 

Zoro took the next few minutes to tell Sanji about his plan to give him the happiness of love in return for taking care of everyone (to which both Zoro and Sanji turned tomato red) and when he had asked Luffy who Sanji loved, the idiot-captain said Zoro was stupid for not knowing. “Doesn’t that sound like he already knows? Is that weird that Luffy knew?”

Sanji’s face was still crimson. His hand covered the side of his face that his bangs didn’t, and let a shuddery breath out. “How fucking obvious was I?” he seemed to of asked himself only. “Robin knew right away, you know, but she didn’t get a real confirmation until a week ago. How could Luffy know? He’s...he’s so stupid?”

“Don’t say that about him,” Zoro growled. “He’s stupid, but he’s our captain. And you know he has a creepy sixth sense for things. Prolly just that.”

Which was true, Luffy  _ did  _ just know things - it was freaky. One minute he could be picking his nose and the next he was spitting some crazy knowledge out that made you stop and wonder what exactly Luffy was made of. “Yeah,” Sanji said quietly. He laid back into Zoro and sucked on his cigarette. “Yeah, let me finish this and we can tell them.”

It was then that Luffy shot to his feet and stared out at the blackness that lay beyond the ship. Zoro stiffened at the sight, immediately catching on that something was wrong. He felt around with Haki and pushed him and Sanji to their feet. The crew had quieted to see what had gotten into the Monster Trio.

“There’s a ship,” Luffy said quietly.

“A lot of’em onboard, too,” Zoro followed up with. He leaned down to grab his swords and attach them in his sash. 

Sanji pinched the end of his cigarette in his fingers and saved the rest for later. “Feels hostile, even from here.”

“Try to keep up,” Zoro said and pushed past the blonde. Sanji scoffed but walked after him.

The crew started to move, either to get their weapons or get into a better position, but Luffy stopped them. “No need,” he said with a smile, turning to face everyone. “We’ve got this!”

One long, rubber arm stretched out and coiled around Sanji’s and Zoro’s bodies, pushing them together with a groan. The other reached far behind him and then zoomed past the crew to stretch across the sea towards the pirate ship that was in the distance. Zoro and Sanji looked at each other with panic-stricken faces for less than a second before all three of them were hurled over the water at a dangerously impossible speed. They landed with a crash into a wall. Luffy was already up and kicking ass while the other two were cursing their captain and his rubber body. 

This boat was quite a deal bigger than The Thousand Sunny, harboring close to a hundred pirates. Though some seemed a formidable foe, most were cannon fodder. Luffy made the right decision to bring the fight to their boat. There wouldn’t have been any room at all to swing swords or throw rubber fists or do a handstand, kicking 360 degrees around you. 

Groans of pain filled the night’s air as the majority of the pirates were already down for the count. Luffy could be heard laughing atop the ship’s crow’s nest. Pirates were climbing the ratlines to get at him but Luffy seemed to be having fun tossing them overboard. Some men rained down on Sanji and Zoro, who was having a slightly different time…

“Oi, take the woman!” Sanji yelled as he blocked a hit with his shin from the man the woman had been calling her ‘Hunny’. 

“I know, I know, ya damn brat!” Zoro retorted over his shoulder. He dodged a giant hammer the woman was swinging around. “You can’t hit a damn dame, even if it were to save your sorry life!”

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck  _ you!”  _ Zoro sneered back while arching his swords at the woman, one after another.

“Lavender, dear, do be careful! He seems quite the foe!” The man called out to his wife. He was large, at least twice Sanji’s height, and very muscular. His large build did him little good against Sanji, though, because it tremendously slowed him down. The blonde was quick to zip around and kick in all the right places to weaken him. The man swung his colossal fist at Sanji’s head making the blonde bend backward, his spine almost folding in half. “Wowzers! You are adorably flexible! Dear, did you see that?!”

“I did, I did!” Lavender said breathily in awe from the sight, though she quickly squeaked in horror as two blades  _ whooshed  _ past her face. Her long eyelashes had been chopped short by Zoro’s swords. “This one is a bully, Hunny! Definitely not our type!”

Zoro growled and gave a harsh jab with the tip of his sword to hopefully pierce her skin but she whirled away in time. The swordsman looked over his shoulder to see Sanji still holding his own with the husband and also kicking away a few stray weaker pirates. Each time Sanji moved, his long shadow cast from the flickering torches on the ship danced around with him. It felt good to be fighting with Sanji at his side again. They were a team and this is what they did best. A feral grin spread across his face and the woman shrieked.

“He’s so scary, Hunny!” she said and slammed the hammer down over Zoro who slipped out from under its heavy head just in time. “Trade me! I want the cute one!”

“You like him, right Lav? Let’s keep him!” The husband suggested. The woman giggled and nodded her small head up and down with a toothy grin. Sanji couldn’t help but laugh, too.

“Hear that, Mossy? I’m better than you!”

Zoro growled and launched a quick attack at Lavender. She jutted a hip to the side and swung her hammer around to retaliate. Zoro ducked in time and she instead hit a comrade, the man sent flying across the ship and through the railing, his body splashing into the sea below. 

Above them, Luffy could be heard yelling  _ Gomu Gomu no Pisutoru!  _ And a few men would go flying. A man pounced on Zoro’s back and was hitting him over the head. Zoro barely even registered the pain as he left a deep cut across Lavender’s arm. She cried out in anguish but soon recovered to her bubbly self.

“Let’s finish this, Hunny! I want him now! He’s so pretty and strong!” She sighed and Zoro noticed she had been half in the fight, the other was watching Sanji like a hawk. It pissed Zoro off, especially when he saw hearts form in Sanji’s eyes from all the compliments. The large man thought it would be a good time as any to bring a sharp elbow down over Sanji’s shoulder but the blonde’s lithe body bent away, dodging every attack.

“And bendy!” The man laughed, his muscled belly moving as he did so. “Seems like he really is perfect for us!”

Zoro’s lip twitched hearing them fawn over the chef. He didn’t like the way they were talking about him. “Stop sayin shit like that,” Zoro snarled around his sword so only the woman could hear. Before he threw another attack, he stabbed the man over his shoulder. He cried out in pain and fell to the floorboards.

As much as Zoro was hating the couple’s conversation, Sanji was absolutely loving it. “Compliment me more, my lovely lady!” he said with a tongue hanging out to the side.

“I like seeing pets fawn after my wife, it gets me going,” the husband said. Everything about him had completely changed, his aura turned from aloof to predatory. Both Zoro and Sanji could feel the atmosphere darken around them. Even the woman seemed a bit scarier, more crazed.

“I want him,” Lavender said, her eyes glazing over.  _ “I WANT HIM!” _ Small arms lifted over her head as she raised the hammer then slammed it down to get rid of Zoro. When the swordsman hopped out of the way, the floorboards exploded under the pressure and her hammer became temporarily stuck under the wood

Sanji jumped into the air and sent a flaming foot towards the husband. It hurled him backward into the ship’s wall. As his back thwacked against the wood, the ship shook and torches fell from their sconces and rolled across the floor. The ship began to catch fire. The once dimly lit boat now began to glow with orange light as the fire spread.

Instead of being knocked out, or even winded, the man laughed behind hooded eyes. His tongue darted out to lick across his lips. “You’re feisty...I like it. Means you’ll squirm longer than the others.”

Raging, Zoro’s grip tightened over his swords in his hands and his teeth felt like they’d crush Wado’s hilt in two. These pirates were getting on his  _ fucking nerves. _ He didn’t like the way they were talking about Sanji like he was some piece of meat. It reminded him too much of those nasty pirates when he was a kid. The swordsman shook the messy thoughts from his head and concentrated on bringing the woman down so they could get the hell out of there before the fire got to them first.

“Yes, yes!” Lavender squealed, her voice going up an octave. “I like it when they squirm! Capture him, Hunny! Don’t let him get away!” She had momentarily forgotten about Zoro and was now lazily swinging the hammer in circles as she twirled around on the boat thinking of having her way with the blonde. With each swipe of Zoro’s swords, she still managed to dodge most of the hits. Shusui slid across the back of her leg and blood immediately rushed down, but it hardly registered. She didn’t even falter in her step.

Since the air changed, Sanji ceased his ogling and shut his mouth. It was no longer a game of fighting, but something closer to cat and mouse, a man simply playing with his prey. The large man’s breathing became heavy and ragged but it wasn’t because of the challenge Sanji was giving him or the rapidly increasing heat.

“He’s got a nice mouth, too,” the man whined and clawed forward in hopes to snatch Sanji up in his fist.

Once Zoro heard that the pressure around them grew impossibly denser as if the oxygen was being sucked out from the depths of your lungs. A violent surge of lightning coursed through the swordsman’s veins as he rushed across the deck through the flames, abandoning his current fight and roaring around Wado as he shot forward between Sanji and the huge, muscular man who toppled backward from the force of Zoro’s shoulder drilling into him. 

Zoro stood over the man’s wide abdomen and, wasting no time, he took his anger out on him by sinking both Kitetsu and Shusui deep into the tops of each of the man’s pectorals and slid them down his front, shredding through each rib bone like butter, until the blades reached the man’s hips. Sanji’s voice could barely be heard over Zoro’s vicious cries of anger. 

The man was still hanging on to life, coughing up blood that had filled in places it shouldn’t be. He tried desperately wrestling Zoro off of him, his once strong arms now weakened. Zoro bared his teeth and slashed Kitetsu across the man’s thick neck to end him completely. The writhing stopped.

Sanji’s arm had only just now grabbed Zoro’s elbow but the swordsman was already launching across the way back to Lavender who was screaming, half in rage and the other mourning the loss of her husband. Zoro readied himself to tear her in two but Sanji called out to him.

“Don’t kill her!” he said quickly, hoping to reach through Zoro’s blind frenzy.  _ “Zoro, don’t!”  _ Hearing his name brought Zoro back from his rampage for a split second. He turned to the blonde behind him to see what he wanted. He watched the blonde’s face quickly twist from worry to a horrified panic, then he was opening his mouth again to yell. “WATCH OUT!” he screamed all too late for Zoro to dodge in time. 

Lavender had sought revenge and whirled her enormous hammer in a sideways arc. Zoro heard its mass  _ whooshing _ through the air and turned to see the head of metal racing towards his left. It was too late to do anything. Zoro blinked and the hammer connected with his temple with a sickening  _ crack,  _ sending him flying to the edge of the boat and smacking against the railings. He lay there on his back, unmoving.

“ZORO!” Sanji screamed again, his voice hoarse from raising it so high. The woman was making her way towards him at an alarming speed. Already, there was a thick pool of blood forming under Zoro’s upper body. The liquid reflected the flames around it.

The woman’s face had turned from beautiful to horrifying as her tears muddied her eyeliner and mascara, sending thick, black rivers down her face. Sanji had to take care of her if he was going to get Zoro to Chopper. There was no other choice.

Before Sanji could go against one of his strictest rules, the woman’s body was plunged deep into the wooden deck below. Sanji blinked a few times wondering what the hell happened. He stared at the hole in the ship waiting for her to crawl out, but then there was Luffy springing up and landing with a slap of his sandals on the surface. “Zoro is hurt,” he said with a serious tone and Sanji nodded.

The two rushed to Zoro’s side and were taken aback by what they saw. The blood around the swordsman’s body was a lot more than they expected, most had dripped off the edge of the ship. His jaw was slack, mouth hanging slightly open and his eye stared blankly at the sky above. There was no sign of grey in his eye, his pupil had dilated enough to swallow the iris whole. 

Sanji immediately started hyperventilating and his heart felt like it had jumped into his throat. “He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead,” he said with every gasping breath he tried taking. 

“He’s not.” 

_ “He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead,” _

“HE’S NOT DEAD!” Luffy yelled and slapped Sanji across the face. “Can’t you see he’s breathing? You have to carry him, Sanji. I can’t bring him back gently.” Shocked back into reality, Sanji saw how Luffy’s pained expression was urging him to take control. His captain was trying to stay calm but behind those large, brown eyes, he was just as worried as Sanji. “Please...he’s hurt.”

“Yeah, right…” Sanji said as he struggled to regain his composure. The fire had almost reached every surface of the enemy's ship by now. He could feel hot tears streaming down the sides of his face, immediately evaporating from the heat, as he gently scooped Zoro’s limp body into his arms. He was dead weight as Sanji Sky Walked across the ocean back to Sunny. Zoro’s head lolled backward over Sanji’s arm, still profusely leaking. Sanji choked back a sob.

___

Robin and Brook kept Sanji company in the galley while Usopp, Nami, and Franky stayed with Luffy in the aquarium. No one was allowed to interrupt Chopper while he began treating Zoro.

Sanji was pacing the kitchen, chain-smoking, and muttering under his breath. Brook had opened the galley doors to begin letting the excess smoke out. Sanji hadn’t even realized how many cigarettes he went through until he reached in the pack to grab a new one and saw there were no more. All twenty lifelines gone. This was his last pack. Sanji’s lip twitched before a tear fell from his eye. “Shit,” he said, his voice cracking, and collapsed to his knees on the floor. Both Robin and Brook had come to his aid.

“Sanji-san!” Brook said, pulling him to his feet. “We must stay strong - for Zoro!”

The blonde’s legs felt like wet noodles. How was he expected to stand when the image of Zoro’s blank expression, red matted to the side of his head, haunted his fucking mind? He was in Chopper’s care now and that meant that everything would be alright. He didn’t realize he was sobbing until he heard Robin shushing him.

“It’s alright, Sanji-san,” Robin cooed. She gently brushed her fingers through his hair to try and calm him but he was in hysterics. She wanted to convince Sanji that there was nothing to worry about but even she had her doubts. As Sanji ran past her to bring Zoro’s body into the infirmary, she had seen the vacant stare he wore. There was nothing behind that eye. Before she knew it, tears were falling down her cheeks, too. Robin wrapped her arms around Sanji’s torso and pushed his head down so he could cry into her shoulder. She rubbed his back in soothing circles. She remembered it worked when he was a young child and sure enough, Sanji’s sobbing slowly turned into light sniffles as he calmed down.

___

They waited for hours. The sun had long come up but no one had slept. The boat was silent. Luffy never asked for breakfast.

It was around three in the afternoon when Chopper slowly opened the infirmary door. His body seemed even smaller compared to the weight of the situation. The three of them surrounded him in no time but he quietly asked them to gather everyone else.

Once the crew was all packed inside the dining room, Chopper sighed before speaking. It was apparent that he was exhausted. Under his normally bright, doey eyes were dark circles and his fur was horribly matted. His white coat was soaked in blood and he had discarded his hat. It gave Chopper a look that wasn’t suited for his age, he was too young to be put through this type of exposure.

“I want to first tell you that he’s stable.” The collective sigh of relief around the room didn’t make him feel any better. “But it’s not good. I’ve given him a GCS Score of three and -”

“What does that mean?” Usopp asked the question most of them were thinking.

“Oh, right,” Chopper said unenthusiastically. “It’s a scale that determines the severity of a coma, the Glasgow Coma Scale and -”

“Three sounds good!” Sanji chimed in. “That’s not that bad. He’s fine, right?”

The reindeer seemed to deflate even further after hearing that. “No, Sanji, three is the worst rating. He’s unresponsive in all three categories. Even after the sedative I have him under wears off, he will not wake up.” The room was silent. No one dared speak lest it hurt Zoro in some way. Chopper sniffled while shutting the infirmary door behind him and leaned against it. He was looking down at the floorboards as he spoke. “Since he has a traumatic brain injury, I suspected severe brain hemorrhaging. I made multiple CT scans and it was proved true; his brain was swimming in blood. I’m not a surgeon!” He suddenly shouted as big tears welled up under his eyes.

“We heard drilling,” Robin said, looking from Brook and Sanji to Chopper again.

Chopper nodded and wiped under his nose with a shaking hoof. “Yeah, I had to open a small hole in his skull to drain the blood. As I said, he’s stable now…”

Luffy sat cross-legged against the base of the couch between Brook’s lanky legs. He rubbed the pad of his finger across the floorboards, tracing the grain of the wood. “When will he wake up?” 

Chopper slid down the door and flopped on his bottom. “I...don’t know.”

“Is there anything we can do for him?” Franky asked, his usual spunky voice was toned down for the situation. Chopper’s crying gave him the answer of no, there isn’t anything they could do. All they could do was wait.

___

Two days had gone by and Zoro was still unconscious. Luffy made the decision of staying docked at the next busy island with a city in case they needed anything for Zoro. He didn’t want to be stranded in the middle of the ocean while his friend was dying. The crew agreed that was the best they could offer him. Nami mentioned marines but Luffy said if it were a Navy infested island then he would fight them until Zoro woke no matter how long it took. They couldn’t risk sailing to a different island, the results were too unknown and Chopper agreed.

Sanji was stressed. His cigarettes had run out and Zoro was in a fucking coma and it was all his fault. If he didn’t tell him not to kill that woman he wouldn’t have hesitated. Sanji is the only reason Zoro is laying in the infirmary with a new hole in his head. It ate at him.

The crew was fed on time as always. Sanji did his best to not let this affect him enough that the crew would notice, he had to be strong for them. He had to be strong.

Day three came and went. Nami stepped out of her office and joined the few people left on the grassy deck. It was late and most everyone was already tucked in bed. Franky strummed ever so lightly on his acoustic guitar, playing a melody that would soothe his  _ nakama.  _ Luffy laid in Sanji’s lap, his eyelids drooping while the blonde pinched his rubber cheeks to keep him awake.

“I think there will be an island we can stop at soon,” Nami said with a stretch high above her head. Her fingers fished around under her hair tie until she could grab ahold of it and shake it loose from her thick hair. Orange curls fell in a mess around her shoulders. “Probably late tomorrow evening if the wind stays this steady. Wednesday morning if the New World shits on us. I’m going to head to bed now. You guys need to get some sleep, too,” she finished with a yawn and slipped away.

Franky mimicked Nami’s stretch but he was a little more  _ super  _ about it. “I’m off, bros!” he said with a smile. As he left, Luffy looked up at Sanji.

“What?” the blonde asked, feeling Luffy’s sad gaze.

“He will get better. He has to.”

Sanji let his eyes fall closed. “I know, Captain.”

“Then why are you so sad still?” Luffy asked. He rolled off Sanji and was crouching in his face. “Zoro will be okay so you have to be okay, too, for when he wakes up.”

Nodding his head in agreement, Sanji broke away to stare beyond the galley door where Zoro laid alone in the infirmary. “Alright, let’s go to bed. I’m gonna say goodnight to Zoro first, though.” 

Luffy’s smile reached his ears. “Tell him I said goodnight, too.”

The two parted ways and the pit in Sanji’s stomach came back the closer he walked to the infirmary door. His hand hesitated on the door handle. He hated visiting him, hated looking at how still he was. Pushing through, Sanji closed the door gently behind him as if it would disturb the man inside. 

“Hey, idiot,” Sanji said quietly. “You suck at being strong.” The blonde inched his way over to the gurney. The lights stung his eyes from being outside in the dark for so long. Zoro lay motionless, except for his shallow breathing, with tubes hooked into his arms and down his throat for feeding. The brace around his neck helped keep his head steady and in place, but Sanji knew if Zoro were awake he would have torn it off the moment the doctor left the room. He smiled thinking of how stubborn Zoro was.

Sanji ran his hand across Zoor’s dark arm. The swordsman looked so different right now. The gown Chopper dressed him in made all his sharp edges look soft and round and the creases he usually wore between his brows were smoothed out. Zoro’s tough-guy front was no match against the state he was in.

“You look weak,” Sanji croaked around the lump caught in his throat. “Don’t take too long to wake up. Gotta help me keep that captain safe.” Sanji played with a few pieces of green hair that stuck out from under the gauze bandages that were tightly wound around Zoro’s head, careful not to cause him any further harm than he already had. Once satisfied that he gave the Straw Hat’s swordsman proper attention, Sanji walked to the door and placed his hand over the light switch. He looked behind him one last time to whisper, “Goodnight, Zoro,” before putting the lights out for the night and heading to his bunk.

___

The New World  _ did  _ end up shitting on them. The wind had died down enough that Sunny didn’t dock to the next island until late Wednesday night. Chopper was thankful that Zoro didn’t need any more special attention in between that time.

Normally, Sanji would have raced off the ship to grab his replacement smokes but he hesitated this time. It had been five days total since Zoro was in a coma and leaving him behind on the ship, even though Franky and Brook were staying back, didn’t seem right. Sanji stood at the bow of the ship looking at the city before him.

Nami told them the island was called Amaryllis, known for their flowers, but this was no humble village settlement. It was massive. The island was covered in tall buildings with lively street life. They were all lucky to have stumbled upon a thriving city in this desperate time to keep Zoro alive. It put Sanji at ease knowing Chopper would have anything they could possibly need if the time called for it. 

Amaryllis was spotted even when Sunny was still quite a ways out. The city was glowing from the street lights, neon signs, and buildings. The closer the boat sailed, the louder the island became. Once they had landed, Luffy and Usopp left right away to see what the city had to offer. Chopper, Robin, and Nami left together to find a casino to rake in some extra money.

“Bro, you don’t have to stay here with us oldies! You can totally let your wild side run free here!” Franky said and struck a pose by lifting his huge arms over his head. “It looks SUUUUPERRRRR fun!”

Sanji ducked his head to stare at Sunny’s mane. It wasn’t that Sanji didn’t trust Brook and Franky to take care of Zoro while he was away, it wasn’t that at all. In fact, he knew those two would be more than enough to protect him. What was keeping Sanji glued to the floorboards was the guilt. There was no way he could go and have fun while Zoro lay unconscious because of him. Sanji sighed.  _ Not like any places that sell cigarettes would be open right now anyway.  _

Turning around to head into the kitchen, Sanji gave Franky a reassuring smile and said he would explore tomorrow instead.

___

The afternoon breeze flowed through Sanji’s golden hair, tossing it around while he heaved the heavy crates up from the dock to Franky behind the ship’s railings. He had spent his morning after breakfast stocking up on whatever food and liquids that needed replenishing, plus a fuck-ton of cigarettes. More than he normally bought between islands. He was going to need them if this coma lasted any longer.

In the kitchen, Sanji took his time putting the supplies away. He chopped the meats into portions for separate meals and stored them in the icebox with a neat label to identify them by. The kitchen was soon organized to the highest of standards now that Sanji had the extra time. It was due for a good deep cleaning, too, but he’d wait until after lunch was served.

Not everyone was back on the ship for lunch, which Sanji expected. Robin and Brook left to visit the island’s many bookstores. They brought a box with them full of the books the Sunny no longer needed to see if they could offer a trade for replacement ones. Robin had spent a good deal of time sorting through the stories she knew by heart and wanted more to fill her mind with. The non-fictional books stayed, though. Those would never be replaced.

Usopp left before breakfast. He had run into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee from Sanji and bolted after burning his mouth. Sanji didn’t even have time to ask where he was going or when he’d be back. 

Luffy had been gone since after breakfast but returned right on time for the food. Nami had taken away his allowance for the day because he got her kicked out of a casino last night. If Luffy wanted to eat today, he had to do it on the Sunny.

The second wave of food for the day had been a success, as always, and Sanji took advantage of a quiet boat to get started on diving elbows deep in cleaning products. He scrubbed places that probably have not seen the light of day since Franky put this ship together. Over two hours, Chopper had come in and out of the infirmary a few times to take care of Zoro. The chef told himself if he were going to spend his day on the ship and  _ not  _ explore a luscious city with high-tech and ladies, then he was going to at least be productive. There were many things Sanji needed to get done before he thought of wasting his very rare chance of no Luffy or Usopp causing some sort of chaos to prevent him from doing anything but feeding or cleaning up after them.

Sanji made his way back into the kitchen after a shower to rid the ammonia and bleach smells from him. There weren’t many other things he could do to keep himself busy. There were still four, maybe five, more hours until dinner and he didn’t need much prep time. While he thought about his next task, Sanji made himself a cup of hot tea.

_ It wouldn’t hurt to check in on Zoro while I drink this,  _ Sanji thought to himself. With a sigh, he ignored the inner voice that continuously told him Zoro wouldn’t suddenly wake up if he stared at him long enough.

Sanji pushed into the infirmary with a cup of tea in each hand, ready to hand one over to the tiny doctor, when he almost dropped the acrylic cups because of what he saw; Zoro was no longer on his back but now laying on his side facing the wall. A long sliver of his tan, muscular back could be seen between the ties that held the gown together. “Chopper!” he yelled and readjusted his grip on the mug handles before he spilled their contents. The reindeer about jumped out of his skin from Sanji’s outburst. He asked what was wrong with panic in his innocent eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me Zoro was awake!” 

Chopper turned in his swivel chair to look at Zoro who was still deeply asleep. Sanji had set the tea down and raced to Zoro’s side. “Wait!” Chopper squeaked. “He’s still in a coma!”

Sanji’s outstretched hands hesitated. “What?” he asked and looked back at Zoro. “How did he get on his side, then?”

“Since it’s been six days now, I thought I’d rotate him so he doesn’t get bed sores. The body isn’t meant to stay in the same position for that long, especially someone as active as Zoro.”

“Ah,” Sanji said, deflating a little. He was so happy to think Zoro came out of his coma that the possibility of anything else hadn’t occurred to him. Fishing in his breast pocket, he pulled out a cigarette and lit up. At the sound of the lighter, Chopper looked up at him.

“Don’t smoke in here!”

Casting a sidelong glance down at Zoro’s unconscious body, he looked to Chopper and said, “He won’t mind.” 

___

Dinner seemed a bit depressing for Sanji. That few moments of happiness earlier in the day had made the crushing blow of reality that much worse. His stomach felt like it was in his shoes and his head was starting to hurt from the stress. 

Luffy had given Sanji a rib-crushing hug every opportunity he had in addition to him waiting in Sanji’s bunk every night after the cook had told Zoro goodnight. Sanji was loving the extra emotional support his captain was providing because he truly needed it. Luffy really did have a sixth sense for things and Sanji wouldn’t complain. The kid’s high body-temp did wonders to keep him asleep during the night instead of endlessly tossing and turning, dreaming of a hammer crushing Zoro’s skull over and over. 

Sanji slipped into the infirmary well after dinner to keep Zoro company. He had spent all day cleaning and organizing and going into town didn’t seem like it would make him feel any better. Reading a book in the waiting chair while smoking sounded much better to him if he were being honest with himself. 

The room was quiet, the sounds outside the four walls muffled by the strong Adam wood. The crew had lounged around the portable fire pit tonight instead of running amuck up and down the streets of Amaryllis. Sanji could hear Luffy’s obnoxious laughter over Brook’s electric guitar, which was impressive. Sometimes the boat would shake, no doubt making Franky’s hair turn white as he reigned in the younger Straw Hat’s chaotic energy.

The book Sanji was reading seemed to have lost his interest a few pages back. He knew if someone asked him to recall what he had just read that he wouldn't be able to, even to save his damn life. The conversation the two people were discussing ended up turning to monologues and after that, grey. Sanji shook his head to try and clear the fog and looked over to the source where his mind wanted to wander off to.

Sanji picked the chair up and set it against the wall at the head of the bed. From this angle, he had a clear view of Zoro’s face now. This was much better. The blonde laid his head down in the small space between the wall and Zoro, their faces only inches apart. He smiled as he felt more content right now than he had all day. Shit, all week, even.

The two of them had just figured things out between them and then this shit happens, putting everything on hold. They were minutes away from standing up and telling the crew - then those fucking pirates had to run up on them looking for trouble. 

The memory of Zoro taking care of him years ago warmed him in the cold room. Absentmindedly playing with the green hair, Sanji thought about all the things they would be able to do together now that they were in a relationship. Long fingers raked through Zoro’s hair and Sanji realized it felt dirty. He’d have to ask Chopper how they would keep him clean while he was unconscious. 

The infirmary door opened and Nami stumbled in. “Sanji-kun?” she asked, her hand still on the doorknob. “The hell are you doing in here?” Her chocolate eyes widened when she saw how close Sanji was to the swordsman.

Sanji released Zoro and sat up straight. He could smell the intense aroma of beer pouring off her and filling the air around them. “Keeping the marimo company.”

Nami looked around the room as if a better answer to her question would be found there. “Uhm...why? He’s in a coma. He doesn’t know you’re there.”

Getting to his feet and sparking up a cigarette, Sanji leaned against the bed. After taking a long drag and blowing the smoke up towards the light fixture, he looked to the ship’s navigator and said, “He will remember.”

Nami jutted a hip out and placed her hand over it. “You know what, I was going to ask you about that one night, you know, right before you three left for that enemy ship? You were sitting between Zoro’s legs - what’s up with that?”

Sanji puffed on his cigarette while holding eye contact with Nami. He and Zoro were supposed to tell everyone  _ together, _ but that didn’t mean he had to lie in the meantime. Admitting it out loud without Zoro’s support was a different story, though. Sanji nervously twisted a button on his shirt. It’s not like he was embarrassed about being with Zoro, no, in fact, it was quite the opposite. He wanted everyone in the whole damn world to know that they were finally together. Just...in this moment, with Zoro behind him unconscious and Nami looking at him with her brows furrowed, it didn’t feel like the ideal scenario he had always dreamed it would be.

“And what about that kiss at the dinner table?! I thought you meant to kiss Robin but you said you didn’t?!” Nami said, her voice going up an octave at the end of her sentence.

_ Isn’t it obvious?  _ Sanji thought, hoping she could piece things together and stop looking at him like that. “I think you know what it means, Nami-san,” Sanji said quietly. He knew where this was going, where her rising attitude leaned towards. All the tells were there. Her denial to put two and two together, the repulsed face, the way her eyes couldn’t stop darting between him and Zoro behind him.

Nami was quiet for a minute as Sanji’s words completely sunk in. “You’re...you’re into men?” She asked. Sanji nodded. “What? I can’t believe it,” she said and crossed the room to stand in front of the blonde.

Stiffening, Sanji stood up straight to face Nami. “Why not?” he asked and plucked the cigarette from his lips to hold at his waist, keeping the smoke from suffocating her.

“Uhm, helloooooo, because you like me! You like me, and Robin, and mermaids! Not - not  _ Zoro!”  _ She said, practically spitting the name out with disgust. She gestured towards his body while she continued. “You hate each other!”

“You don’t need to yell, Nami-san, Zoro is-”

_ “He’s in a fucking coma, Sanji!”  _ Nami snapped. “He can’t hear me! And he can’t hear  _ you, _ either! You’re wasting your time!”

“What’s going on?” Luffy said from the doorway. The tension radiating from the room could be felt by him from out on the deck. He came to investigate. 

Nami whipped around and pointed an accusing finger in Sanji’s face. “He likes Zoro!” she said as if that was all the evidence Luffy needed to convict him of the highest of crimes and send him to walk the plank.

Luffy’s cheesy grin split his face in two and his eyes turned into crescents from being squeezed tightly shut. “Shishishi, yup!” he confirmed.

Nami retracted her hand and planted both on her hips. “What do you mean  _ ‘yup’? _ You knew?” After letting out more giggles, Luffy nodded hard enough that it looked as if his neck would snap off. “And - and you’re  _ okay  _ with it?! As captain, you have every right to stop it, you know!” she suggested. Her voice rose while her anger started to flood her emotions when she realized Luffy wasn’t going to back her up.

The Sunny’s captain cocked his head to the side then he fell to lean against the doorframe. He rubbed his chin and made  _ hmmmmm _ noises indicating he was thinking on the matter. Sanji wasn’t surprised that someone on the ship reacted this way but he was hurt to know the person it turned out to be was Nami.

“Why would I stop it?” Luffy finally said.

Nami’s jaw dropped. She fumbled for words while scrambling to win this argument. “I mean - isn’t that - aren’t you? - is this the best - how is this okay, Luffy?! Sanji just told me he likes  _ men  _ and you’re asking me why would you stop it?! Because it’s not true! Sanji likes women!”

There were a lot of things Sanji wanted to say right now, to intervene and defend himself, but Luffy was here and he appeared to be on his side so he waited to see what he had to say. He and Zoro had to tell them all anyway, so hearing Luffy’s opinion was important. 

“No, no, I think Sanji likes Zoro,” Luffy said with a raised eyebrow. “Is that bad?”

“It’s not true!” Nami shouted. “Sanji can only like girls!”

Again, Luffy thumbed over his chin as he thought about Nami’s response. His brows knit close together as he deeply considered her viewpoint. This time it took longer for him to finally speak up, but when he did, he simply asked, “Why?”

Growling in frustration, Nami threw her hands up in the air. It was apparent she felt the walls closing in on her as she was used to getting her way. Eyeing Sanji up and down before turning her attention back on Luffy, she said under her breath, “It’s weird and I don’t like it.”

“That’s okay,” Luffy said with a smile. “But it’s Sanji’s life and we can’t decide what makes him happy.” He gave a wave and left to rejoin the rest around the fire.

Nami stomped over to the door to close it then slowly turned to face the cook. “Sanji-kun,” she said sweetly. “I thought you liked me?” 

Sanji knew she was up to something, she had that look on her face that told Sanji to  _ run, run, run.  _ As she slunk her way towards him, Sanji backed up into the gurney. Nami was less than a foot away from him, he could smell the beer on her breath. “Uhm, I - I do, sweetheart. You know that,” Sanji said nervously, his eyes shifting around the room to see if it would be worth it to jet away from this bizarre situation. 

One of Nami’s hands came up to cup the side of Sanji’s cheek to intimately caress it. “If you like  _ me _ then why did you tell me you like  _ Zoro, _ hmm?”

The way her body was now pressing up against the cook’s chest had him flushing. He could feel his head spinning with lightheadedness. “Heh, uhhmmm, Namiiiii,” Sanji purred, his face melting into a dorky smile. “I - I don’t like Zoro, dear.”

“That’s what I thought. You like what girls have, don’t you?” She asked and made sure to squish her breasts between them. She relished in accomplishment when she saw a streak of blood fall from Sanji’s nose and over his lips. 

“Yessss,” Sanji hissed, his eyes slowly falling closed at the feeling of Nami’s soft body on his, the heat pouring off her now melding with his own. How many times has he thought of Nami like this? And now she was willingly giving it to him! “But, my dear, I don’t like Zoro, I -”

“Yes, you’ve said that,” Nami interrupted and grabbed his chin harshly to assert her control in the discussion. She glared into his crystal blue eye just  _ daring  _ him to take his words back.

Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, Sanji gently grabbed ahold of Nami’s hand and set it at her side. “I think you’re misunderstanding me, Nami-swan. When I say I don’t like Zoro, I really mean to say that I  _ love  _ Zoro.” He wiped the blood from his face with a handkerchief from his pocket and sniffled the rest deep inside his sinuses. He gave a weak smile in hopes that the woman who stood in front of him would understand.

“What?” Nami asked, taking a step backward. “You what?”

“I love -”

“I heard what you said!” Nami spat, twisting her face into a sneer that Sanji recognized as disgust. “You’re serious, then?”

This was growing to be very uncomfortable for Sanji to handle by himself. As much as he hated the way Zoro spoke to the ladies, he knew that he would be able to handle this much better than he currently was. It was a losing battle. He knew the words the idiot swordsman would use but there was no way he could say them to Nami, no matter how well it worked to explain all of this.  _ ‘Fuck off, Witch!’ or ‘If you don’t like it, don’t look” or maybe even something as crude as grabbing his dick and shaking it at her with one hand while flipping her off with the other. Yeah, none of those are even close to an option for me, _ Sanji thought. Figuring it was time for another cigarette, he grabbed one out with shaky fingers and lit up. 

Sanji had never wanted to come out to the crew like this. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. His crew was his family, and right now part of his family was looking down on him for simply loving someone. The worst part was that person who was glaring daggers at him was  _ Nami,  _ his precious princess who he thought he would always have her support. It hurt. Sanji’s chest hurt badly.

Taking a labored breath through the pain, Sanji spoke as evenly as possible. “Can I not be attracted to you both?” he asked cooly, already feeling the effects of the nicotine calming his nerves. “I love you, Nami-san, but I’m  _ in love  _ with this damn neanderthal.”

Nami silently shook her head as the words processed, trying to comprehend what she was hearing. “I can’t believe it,” she said under her breath. “I can’t believe I lost a hundred beri.”

“W-what?” Sanji asked.

“I pried some information from Robin about that kiss. She told me you and Zoro liked each other but I didn’t believe it for one second. She insisted, so I bet her you two were just pulling her leg!” she said and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Looks like I better pay up.”

“W-what?” Sanji asked again, perplexed. “So that means you don’t care wh-”

“Who you love? Gods, of course not, Sanji-kun!” Nami smiled and patted the cook’s cheek. “Also, you passed the test. Good for you.”

Sanji quirked an eyebrow up as Nami walked away. “Huh? What test?” 

With one hand resting on the door handle, Nami half-turned to say, “I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t fall for me if I gave you the chance. Didn’t want you breaking Zoro’s heart.” And then she was gone, leaving Sanji to stare at the place where Nami was moments ago. 

_ What in the hell just happened? _

___

The days continued around Zoro’s unconscious form. It had been a full two weeks since the accident. In addition to the easily bored captain, the rest of the crew was growing restless as well. Keeping stationary as a pirate for this long was gnawing at each of them. At least when they were all separated for those two long years they had something to  _ do,  _ some  _ goal  _ to work towards. Right now, all they had to keep them going was the hope of Zoro making a full recovery.

To entertain himself, Luffy ended up working for the fishermen down at the labor docks. He needed somewhere to release his pent up energy and hauling heavy sea creatures for eight hours helped. Maybe once or ten times Luffy would be caught gulping a net full of crabs that he pulled fresh out of the sea, but he still helped the men immensely. The money he earned somehow found its way into Nami’s possession, which was fine with Luffy because he tended to lose things as meaningless as money. 

Usopp and Robin spent their time with the florists. Usopp gained an incredible amount of knowledge off the island’s botanists, adding multiple new recipes that he wanted to try out for his Pop Greens and Stars. Robin cozied up with anyone willing to share a story or two about Amaryllis’ history, curious to hear how their endless fields of flowers built their booming city.

Occasionally, Chopper could be seen trailing behind the herbalists for medicinal training. This island had a unique method of extracting juice from the petals and creating potions, salves, and powders to cure their people of various illnesses. The little reindeer soaked up all the information he could, writing down all the details with a notebook in his hoof. 

Franky busied himself with the local carpenters. Originally, he planned to work under them to kill some time, but after seeing their methods, he quickly became the teacher and showed them better and more efficient ways to build that would strengthen their architecture. Since Franky was extremely charismatic and patient, the laborers warmed up to him right away and looked forward to working with him.

Each new day, Brook would visit different elementary schools to entertain the children with his music. To see a skeleton as tall as Brook playing an acoustic guitar was somehow relaxing to them instead of down-right terrifying. He was very popular with the teachers because he made nap time that much easier by lulling them all to sleep. 

Nami bid her time by earning the crew some serious money. She spent her morning hours by dealing cards in the casino, but by night, she was on the other side of the table betting humongous amounts of beri - and won it back ten-fold. Their time on land would not go to waste, she made sure of it. She couldn’t help that she was blessed with such an amazing ability to gamble.

Then there was Sanji. His time while docked was mostly spent on the ship with Zoro, but when there was someone else to stay there to keep the swordsman safe, Sanji ventured off into the city. His main goal was to seek out an orphanage or homeless shelter of some sort and treat them to his cooking, but thankfully, this city didn’t have that sort of problem. It was an island of paradise. It had a booming economy, beautiful weather, and happy people that led happy lives.

It took Sanji a few days to find somewhere he could fit in. After learning the infamous Straw Hat Chef had stepped onto their land, many restaurants reached out to him, asking and begging him to taste their food. All were eager to serve and impress him. As tempting as they all were, Sanji turned them down and instead found a small restaurant, named Snowdrop, that looked like it didn’t get many visitors compared to the higher class ones that had been up his ass. He could hardly suppress his smile when the owner’s eyes bulged out of his skull when Sanji walked in.

“You’ve heard of me?” Sanji had humbly asked, to which the entire kitchen staff practically burst into tears that of  _ course  _ they had and he even inspired some of them to become chefs. Sanji took the liberty to go over their menu and see if he could give them a few pointers and get their business a facelift. It was his mission to make that little place as good, if not better, than the top restaurants around the city.

Though, Sanji didn’t spend all his time inside Snowdrop. When he wasn’t retraining the wait staff or showing the head and sous chef recipes they could use with the Amaryllis and Snowdrop flower, he stayed tucked away on the Sunny. The new books Robin and Brook had brought back served Sanji well. He would pick a new storybook and get comfortable in the infirmary to read to Zoro until the crew came back for the night.

Even deep in a coma, Sanji knew Zoro could hear him. It was important that Sanji stayed on the ship and didn’t leave him alone for long periods. He couldn’t imagine being stuck in his head for this long. The least Sanji could do was let Zoro know he wasn’t alone. Chopper hated that he smoked inside the room but the way Zoro had said he had basically become addicted to the second-hand smoke had the chef thinking it would do less harm than the doctor foretold. Besides, having a lit cigarette between his teeth made it that much easier to sit in the room with the damn moss-head for long periods. 

When Sanji didn’t feel like reading any longer and the time called for it, he’d give Zoro a nice sponge bath. Chopper had shown him how to properly care for him when he wasn’t there so the little reindeer didn’t have to be the one to do all the work, and Sanji insisted he lightens his workload. And if the blonde were being honest with himself, it wasn’t a chore to bathe Zoro. He found it relaxing and he relished in the idea of finally being able to return the favor. 

Carefully maneuvering the sponge around the tubes in the crook of Zoro’s elbow, Sanji made sure to take his time to get every inch of the swordsman. Zoro would occasionally go through heat-spells and would break out in a sweat, resulting in his body becoming covered in a sheet of grime if not washed away. Sanji’s favorite part was washing his hair. He found that Zoro’s hair was actually a lot lighter than he had ever known. After using  _ his  _ shampoo instead of whatever the hell the marimo used, he must have rinsed years of dirt away because his usual seafoam hair was left much brighter. After finding that little tidbit out, Sanji was sure to use his shampoo every time after that, even though it was expensive.

Once the swordsman was patted dry and ‘ready for bed’ so to speak, Sanji would routinely give him a light kiss on the forehead before turning the lights out for him. 

“Goodnight, Zoro.”

___

The rain pelted against the Sunny loud enough that anyone in the dining room had to shout if they wanted to be heard, lest their voice be drowned out by the storm. The moon was well-hidden behind thick, dark clouds, causing the surrounding area to look black, an endless void that could intimidate the strongest willed person.

The Straw Hats had finished their dinner and Sanji was now serving them a special dessert he had come up with at Snowdrop. The employees at the restaurant were all happy with it so Sanji wanted to share it with his  _ nakama.  _ The dessert was made of a bouncy cake with a thin, sugary icing drizzled on top. The loaf breading was dense enough to hold the liquid on top without soaking through to soggy up the cake. The icing consisted of honey from the island’s farms, nectar straight from the Amaryllis flower, and a few crushed petals for texture. Sanji only wished  _ all  _ his  _ nakama  _ could taste this wonderful creation.

All the plates had been passed around with a generous serving on each. Just when everyone was going to take their first bite, besides Luffy who already swallowed his piece whole, there was a sudden gagging noise followed by intense coughing, barely audible under the heavy rain. It was Chopper who realized first that it was Zoro waking up!

Hot on Chopper’s heels, Sanji could hardly believe it took Zoro six long weeks to break free of his coma. Upon entering the infirmary, Zoro could be seen thrashing about, pulling the various tubes that had helped keep him alive out of his mouth. The entire crew had abandoned their dessert and were now bumping into the back of Sanji to get a better look.

Chopper was quick to untangle Zoro and calm him down enough to remain still while he explained what had happened. When he was done, Zoro blinked a few times at everyone as he took in the news. 

“I’m hungry,” were his first words, causing everyone to laugh. Despite Chopper’s reprimanding to be gentle with him, everyone took their turn giving Zoro the biggest of hugs and told him to join them at the table. Sanji hung back until everyone filed out fifteen minutes or so later to have a moment alone with Zoro.

The swordsman stretched his arms to the ceiling and proceeded to give his neck a good crack on each side. “What are you lookin at, Curly?” Zoro asked, jutting his chin out towards the chef. “And where’re my swords? Clothes?” 

“Your hair grew,” Sanji said with a small smile and reached out to grab a strand of green hair. Over the six weeks, his hair gained a good two inches and now that the man was standing up, Sanji had a proper look at him with his new do, the hair falling over the bandages and onto his forehead. He looked damn good. Still no facial hair, though.

Zoro smacked Sanji’s hand away. “The hell?” he snapped at the chef. “Tryin to start a fight so soon?”

Sanji pulled his hand back and slowly let it drop to his side. “No…,” he said hesitantly, skeptical that something had changed. This wasn’t Zoro’s hunger irritation or the crankiness he gained when he missed his afternoon nap. The way he dismissed Sanji seemed strange. Off, even. Zoro growled under his breath while seemingly looking for his things in the room. “I can get you something to wear,” Sanji said.

The swordsman stood up straight as he turned to face the chef. He looked him up and down as if he were scanning for a trap. “Alright,” he said curtly and crossed his arms over his broad chest. Sanji was quick to return to the infirmary with a cigarette hanging from his lips. A pair of black jeans, a blue t-shirt, underwear, and boots were handed over to Zoro. 

“You wanna watch?” the brute asked as he viciously ripped the gown off him, breaking the little ties in the back. The cloth was tossed on the bed and Zoro was already stepping into his boxer briefs.

Sanji stiffened and turned around quickly. He could feel the heat flushing his face at the image of Zoro tearing off his clothes like the stupid gorilla he was, but  _ god if that wasn’t sexy as hell,  _ Sanji thought to himself. 

Zoro came up behind the blonde. “Swords,” he grunted in a gravelly voice.

Blowing smoke in Zoro’s face, Sanji pushed past the marimo and reached above the cupboards of the room and pulled down three katanas. Zoro sighed in relief at the sight of them. As Sanji handed them over, he saw Zoro close his eye while deeply inhaling the surrounding smoke, a small smile at the corner of his mouth.

“Go on,” Sanji said and shooed Zoro out of the room. “I’ll make you a meal to go with that dessert.” As Zoro headed towards the door, Sanji rested his hand on the small of Zoro’s back to guide him through the door frame. In an instant, Wado was ringing through the air and arcing towards Sanji, a well-polished shoe already up and ready to block the steel.

“You messin with me, Cook?” Zoro asked, increasing the pressure of his katana into Sanji.

The blonde shoved his foot forward to push Zoro off him. “As if, bastard. Now sit down.”

The swordsman sheathed Wado and when walking to his seat, Luffy coiled a rubber arm around his waist in a tight hug. “I missed youuuuu! You took forever to wake up!”

The conversation consisted of all the events that happened on the island while Zoro was in a coma and once he was given a plate full of food, Sanji joined everyone at the table, too. Zoro shoveled food into his mouth while each pirate shared their exciting stories of keeping themselves busy, the green-haired man listening to every word.

Sanji passed on speaking and instead settled on watching. Any time Zoro’s gaze connected with his, Zoro would hurriedly look away as if he were caught doing something he should have been doing. 

Something wasn’t right.

___

“Chopper, may I have a word with you?” Sanji asked the young doctor. 

After everyone had eaten their dessert and Chopper ran a few basic tests on Zoro, they all moved out to the deck by the fire. Sanji peeked out of the porthole and saw Luffy in Zoro’s lap. His fingers lazily raked through black hair. Sanji smiled at the sight.

“Of course!” Chopper squeaked, coming into the kitchen to stand next to Sanji. “What’s up?”

Crouching to the reindeer’s level, Sanji rubbed a palm into his visible eye hard enough he saw little black dots in his vision when he let up. “Did you check his memory?”

“Yup! He says he doesn’t remember how he was knocked out, which I figured would happen.”

Sanji shook his head. “No, no. Further than that. Did you ask him what the last thing he remembered was?”

Chopper bobbed his head up and down. “I sure did! The last thing he could recall was a steamy jungle, crocodiles the size of Sunny, and goopy, pink water. Sounded like Iridale Lagoon to me, don’t you think?”

_ That’s exactly what it sounds like,  _ Sanji thought. He gave a kind smile to Chopper and sent him on his way to join the others. When he stood up again, he watched Chopper through the porthole run straight for Zoro and climb up his back to sit on his shoulders. 

_ Fuck! Iridale was over two and a half months ago, well before I was affected by that damn fruit. Shit, shit, shit.  _ Sanji tried suppressing a whine in his throat.  _ He doesn’t remember. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ope 😲


	12. Will You Tell Me What Happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly told threw Zoro's eyes, then switches over to Sanji's towards the end.

_The cook is acting weird,_ Zoro thought. While everyone blabbed on and on about the activities they had invested themselves in over the weeks, Sanji stayed quiet…which wasn’t the weird part. It wasn’t uncommon for the two of them to not exchange stories the same way the rest of the Straw Hats did. That much was normal. What was putting Zoro on edge was _we’re catching each other’s gaze too often. Doesn’t that guy always have his attention zeroed in on the witch or Robin? Do I have something on my face?_

Zoro wiped his mouth with the back of his hand self-consciously, the cook following its movements. When Zoro dropped his hand to rest on the table, Sanji’s bright blue eye darted back up to meet grey. Zoro looked away. Again.

A heavy pit grew in the bottom of Zoro’s stomach.  
  
___  
  
After climbing onto Zoro’s shoulders, the little reindeer began telling Zoro of the things he missed before the accident. Usopp and Robin chimed in here and there, Luffy, too. He had told them to skip that goopy water island, he at least remembered that much. Maybe a day or so after they departed Iridale Lagoon is where it began to get fuzzy for him.

“And then we ran into a _huge_ pirate fleet! I’m talking like three thousand ships!” Usopp shouted, his arms flailing around as he described the battles he and Franky fought as they defended the Sunny. Chopper whispered in Zoro’s ear that it was closer to a dozen boats.

“And where was I?” Zoro asked after Brook and Nami told them their share.

“You were with me,” came a voice behind him. Sanji emerged from the kitchen to join everyone around the fire. The swordsman could feel him staring a hole into his back as he walked up to them. His stomach hurt again.

“Ow, Zoro,” Luffy laughed, swatting his hand away. Zoro had subconsciously tightened his grip in Luffy’s hair.

“Sorry,” he said and tried to look away from Sanji but found it almost impossible. The sound of Sanji’s voice seemed to have grabbed his attention more than usual.

When Zoro first woke and he and Sanji were alone in the infirmary, he figured the velvety, deep voice was only captivating because he was still woozy. Now that he had a full belly and felt perfectly normal again, there shouldn’t be any reason Sanji’s voice affected him like this. But it did.

Zoro patiently listened to Sanji as he explained the missing information from their time on the enemy’s boat, describing how bored they were because Luffy had hogged all the strong opponents. More than once, Zoro had to shake his head to remind himself to listen to the man’s _words_ and not just listen to his _voice._

 _God, why does it feel like I’ve spent so much time with him?_ Zoro thought. He could hardly ignore a magnetic pull towards the blonde. There always was a special connection between them, though. They were on the same wavelengths, always had each other’s back...but it feels off now. _The cook feels off, too. Something has changed._

“After that, I don’t know. Someone else will have to tell you,” Sanji said sadly, his visible eye trained on the fire.

“Hah?” Zoro asked, unsure of what the cook meant. “What do you mean ‘you don’t know,’ weren’t you right there by my side?”

Sanji shrugged. “I was still there next to you, but not in this form.”

“What the hell does that mea-”

“Sanji was turned into a little kid!” Luffy exclaimed, looking up from Zoro’s lap. When Zoro looked down at him, Luffy poked his pointer fingers into tanned cheeks and continued. “He was touched by Frilly and couldn’t turn back for two whole weeks!”

Raising an eyebrow, he looked to the rest of the crew to see if Luffy was just being a dork, _and what the fuck is a frilly?_ Brook, Nami, and Franky all spoke up telling Zoro what Luffy meant and how it was true. Chopper and Usopp started talking at once to explain the rest of the story. Sanji was quiet.

For the next hour and a half, Zoro listened to a bizarre tale of Sanji as a little kid and how he volunteered himself as his guardian. Sometimes, Zoro felt as if what they were saying was familiar to him, like he were inches from grabbing onto the memory but at the last moment, it was snatched away from his reach. But, for the most part, he didn’t remember shit. They could be making this whole thing up for all he knew.

Nami and Usopp made a point to remind him of how scary he was sometimes, retelling the part where Zoro murdered over a dozen pirates in less than thirty seconds for reasons they still didn’t know. It did not go unnoticed by Zoro that Sanji shifted in his seat. The swordsman watched Sanji light up a cigarette and look elsewhere.  
  
___  
  
Zoro wasn’t tired. Chopper had insisted he get more rest despite how much ‘sleep’ he may have had, but Zoro didn’t think he could even if he tried. One by one, the Straw Hats shuffled off to their beds for the night. All that was left near the dwindling fire was Zoro, Sanji, and a sleeping Luffy.

“Don’t you need yer beauty sleep?” Zoro asked when the silence dragged on for longer than he was comfortable with. Sanji was laying on his back, arms propped under his head, and an unlit cigarette dangled from his lips. “Gonna head to bed?”

“I will when you do,” came the soft reply Zoro wasn’t expecting. Zoro looked at Luffy in his lap. A trail of drool was making its way down his chin and pooling in the dip of his clavicle. “He’s good comfort, isn’t he?” Sanji asked without turning.

“Hm?” Zoro grunted. “You mean Luf?” Sanji sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. He nodded as he finally lit his cigarette and took a long drag, filling his lungs with that sweet nicotine he loved so much. “Uh...I guess?”

“I’ve learned something about him while you were off sleeping our lives away, you know. He does that when he knows something’s wrong,” Sanji said, pointing at their captain. “Like some damn therapy dog.”

Rubber arms were sprawled out over either side of Zoro’s thighs and a head of messy black hair sat at an odd angle, propped too close to Zoro’s front making his chin dig into his own chest. Zoro deemed the position too uncomfortable for him so he leaned back on his hands in the grass and Luffy’s head straightened out and lolled to the side.

“Ain't nothing wrong, though,” Zoro said.

“Don’t lie to me,” Sanji said coolly, blowing smoke into the air above. “Even I can tell. Whatever it is has been bugging you all night. The moss in your head is trying its hardest to figure it out, isn’t it?”

 _Fuck, of course he noticed. Can’t hide anything from someone who knows me like the back of his damn hand._ It was quiet between them while Zoro thought about the right words to say. “My stomach hurts, I guess,” Zoro half-shrugged. This wasn’t a lie; he had no _reason_ to lie. The only other thing he could have answered was ‘I don’t know’ because he _did not know_. Zoro had no idea what was wrong. Something was going on with him but he didn’t know _what._

“Has the food not settled well with you?” Sanji asked, concern lining his voice. “Maybe after not having solid food for so long, your system can’t handle it?”

Zoro laughed, his voice carrying across the quiet ocean. Luffy’s body shook from Zoro’s bouncing belly. “As if I were that weak, Curly.” Sanji openly stared at him, making Zoro feel vulnerable. He broke the tension by looking into the fire and saying with a sigh, “It’s hard to explain.” _Really hard to explain, since I don’t know what’s making me feel this way._ The coals on the outskirts of the fire pulsed a burning red. Zoro lost track of how long he sat there, eyes glazed over as he stared. His trance was broken suddenly when Sanji stood and Zoro thought he was finally turning in for the night, but instead, he walked over to sit next to him. Under his scarred chest, Zoro could feel his heart going a million miles per second. “Don’t start nuthin with Luffy in my lap, shit head,” he warned. He felt for his swords lying next to him just in case the damn cook tried anything funny.

“Relax,” Sanji said. He stubbed out his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe and added the butt to his ever-growing collection in his can of cola. “I only wanted to ask you a question.”

“You needed to sit here to ask me?” Zoro asked hesitantly and leaned away from Sanji as if he were going to lash out and bite him.

“No, not at all. I just wanted to be closer to you.”

 _What the hell?_ Zoro thought. He could feel his stomach twisting over itself trying to form insane knots that could never be undone. He swallowed back the lump that formed in his throat. “Okay...what do you want?”

“Do you really not remember anything before you were hit upside that thick skull of yours?”

Zoro raised a hand and felt the left side of his head where Chopper had drilled a hole through the bone. A large square of hair was shaved down to his scalp, prickly to the touch. The stitches had long been taken out and Zoro thumbed over the scabbed line that would soon form a new scar, a few pieces of the dried blood flaked off. “No, not really.”

When Zoro looked over to Sanji, the man was picking at his nails. There was something more on his mind, but he didn’t want to press the matter, especially since he was acting weird. _Well, okay, so we’re_ **both** _acting weird but there’s only so much weirdness I can handle in one day._

A hand came into Zoro’s peripheral and he caught it before it could advance any further. Sanji didn’t yank his hand back, he didn’t scowl, and he didn’t yell in protest for touching him. The blonde simply waited. Zoro gave the wrist a squeeze, a warning that if he decided on starting some shit then he wouldn’t hesitate to return it ten-fold. Letting go, Zoro watched Sanji continue to reach up and gently tug a strand of hair. “Are you going to keep growing your hair out?” he asked.

“I figured I’d have Usopp cut it in the morning,” Zoro said skeptically. Why Sanji thought he had to be all touchy-feely was beyond him. He sat frozen under the icy blue stare.

“That’s too bad,” Sanji said with a kind smile, one he reserved for Chopper or Luffy or anyone other than him. He then raked his fingers through the side of Zoro’s hair before returning his hand to his lap. “I like it like this.”

The electric tingle that coursed through Zoro prompted him to _act_ on whatever this strange feeling was inside him. The pit in his stomach made him feel sick and the idiot cook touching him like that pissed him off, stirred something deep inside him. _Who does this bastard think he is? What’s he playing at?!_ Zoro reached for a sword behind him but was interrupted by a certain rubber boy.

“Mmmnn, don’t be mean, Zormnn,” Luffy mumbled through a stretch.

Following his captain's orders, Zoro nodded even though Luffy couldn’t see. “I should prolly get you into bed, huh?” he said and stood up, lifting his noodle captain over his shoulders.

  
After placing Luffy in his bunk and stripping down, Zoro was the last to be settled in his bed. He could feel Sanji staring at him, even in the dark.

“Goodnight, Zoro.”

Zoro momentarily stopped breathing.

 _Those words,_ Zoro thought with a shocking shiver. A thousand things swirled around in his head at the sound of those two words said in that deep voice. They were familiar to him, somehow, only he didn’t know why. He tried remembering if Sanji had ever bid him goodnight, coming up with nothing. Shit, not even sarcastically has he been told that!

_Goodnight, Zoro._

The swordsman never replied.

The swordsman never slept.  
  
___  
  
The gulls squawked overhead, circling the ship in hopes to find some discarded food to swoop up. If only they knew who this boat belonged to then they would realize they never had a chance. Not a scrap was ever wasted. It wasn’t allowed. A strict, unspoken rule that each crew member quickly learned and lived by.

The light breeze blew Zoro’s hair around, a new sensation he hadn’t felt before. He’d always had his hair cropped short.

_'That’s too bad, I like it like this.’_

Those words echoed through Zoro’s mind as he watched the waves splash against the side of Sunny and roll back into the dock she was tied to.

“Ready?” Usopp’s voice came from behind him. Zoro pushed off the railing to follow him below deck.

Usopp entered his workshop and gestured towards a wooden chair for the swordsman to sit down in while he pulled open a few drawers in a cabinet to look for his supplies.

Looking around, Zoro realized it had been a while since the last time he was down here. Usopp had put up more shelves that were now littered with various jars filled with little balls. Probably the weapons he’s created for his slingshot. “You made some changes, huh?” Zoro asked as he leaned in close to a jar that looked as if something were _writhing_ in it.

“What?” Usopp said, his head ducked deep in a box now. Sitting up with a small case in his hand, he said, “I haven’t changed anything since…. _oh!_ You don’t remember that part, I keep forgetting you lost your memory, man!” Usopp chuckled to himself. “You came down here to apologize for - Uh, well, you know what - nevermind.”

Zoro sat in the chair after laying his trench coat over the back. “Apologize?” he asked, surprised to hear that word. Apologizing wasn’t a thing he did, at least not lightly. It must have been because the situation called for it. _I must have done something really fucked up if I sought him out._

“It’s no biggie!” Usopp said with a bright smile that reminded Zoro of Luffy. The sniper maneuvered himself around various boxes and pots full of dirt to get behind the chair. Reaching over to a shelf where he kept a spray bottle, he began wetting Zoro’s hair and pulling a comb through it. “The usual, I presume?"

Zoro nodded. He wanted to fill in as many gaps as possible, and Usopp seemed to have some answers. “Will you tell me what happened, Usoppu? What caused me to apologize?” he asked quietly.

Usopp stuttered through a few sentences before he managed to sigh in defeat. “Well, alright. It’s only fair.”

While Usopp routinely cut off the excess hair and gave Zoro his normal hairdo, he explained a pirate ship full of bounty hunters were following them for a long while, catching up because a storm had slowed Sunny down. He told him a basic image of what he walked in on in the kitchen, but Zoro wanted more details because he couldn’t quite picture what had happened.

“I was doing _what?!”_ Zoro balked, jaw slack with astonishment.

“Hold still, dangit! I almost chopped off too much,” Usopp said and held Zoro’s shoulder down to still him. “And I said it _looked_ like you were crying, I didn’t say you were! There was blood _everywhere_ and we had no idea some of it was yours! Only after you passed out did we realize you had like a zillion stab wounds in your side! Sanji cried s0o0o0o0o0o0o much when he saw you flop over. He thought you died!” Usopp laughed, which hardly sounded like him when describing such a gory story. “I told him you wouldn’t die so easily, though. Said they would have to try harder than that if they wanted The Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro dead! And sure enough, you were just fine, like always.”

Absentmindedly feeling over his newly found scars over his stomach, Zoro hummed in disbelief. “I wondered where these came from,” he said quietly, fingering the bumpy scar tissue. On the far wall, Zoro noticed a familiar painting. “Hey, isn’t that the piece you made for the dining room?” he asked and pointed at it.

Sighing, Usopp said, “Yeah, another thing you wouldn’t remember. It got wrecked by those same pirates, split right in half! Fixed it with some tape, though. Didn’t you notice there was a different painting in its place upstairs?”

Zoro had to think about it for a moment. Last night he was too preoccupied with filling his stomach enough that it might pop, and that damn cook clouded the rest of his thoughts. And during breakfast this morning, well, he was hardly awake. “No, I guess I haven’t noticed yet. I’ll be sure to check it out. Sorry this one got messed up…”

“Oi!” Usopp said and chopped him over the head. “You already apologized for it and it’s not like it was your fault! It’s all good. No one will be able to stop me from creating more art! If evil bandits want to ruin it, then I’ll just create ten more in its place!”

Zoro gave another hum in response, satisfied that Usopp wasn’t upset. “What about this one on my face?” he asked and touched his lip. When he looked into the mirror this morning, he was shocked to see a light pink line that divided his bottom lip and faded into his chin. Zoro heard Usopp inhale a sharp breath at the mention of it.

“I-I-I don’t know about that one. You should ask s-someone else. All done now, you can leave!”  
Standing up and brushing off stray green hairs on his lap, Zoro jutted a hip out, crossed his arms, and glared at his friend. _“Usoppu,”_ he growled. Usopp kept his back to him as he disinfected his scissors and combs.

“Between you and Sanji I feel like I’m having déjà vu,” Usopp muttered, turning to face the swordsman. “Alright, alright. You both have the same stubborn personality; I know you won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” Zoro smirked, puffing his chest out with a nod. Usopp rolled his eyes. “I don’t like talking about what happened because it was scary, so I’m going to power through this explanation fast - so listen up!”

Usopp retold the same story he had told Sanji when the blonde asked him about it. Zoro’s eyebrows lifted to his hairline throughout most of the tale and he found himself having to hold himself back from interrupting many different parts. Usopp said he wanted to raise Sanji as a kid? _That seems hardly believable! So unlike me to even think of something as stupid as that. How on earth would I work to become the greatest if I was tied down by a brat child?_ _  
_

And what seemed even more unbelievable than that was he defied Luffy? There have been times when he had wanted to wring his stupid rubber neck but he’d never actually go against his orders.

“I fought Luffy?” Zoro asked dumbfoundedly.

“Oh yeah, it was insane. I mean, I didn’t cry watching cause I’m a man, but Nami and Robin totally did.”

Zoro rubbed the back of his head happy to feel his hair at the correct length again. “Right…” he said more to himself. “Well, thanks for the cut.” Usopp smiled and returned to putting the supplies away for the next time while Zoro took his leave.

__

Over the next few days, Zoro distanced himself from the rest of the crew, which had been easy since he was okay now, everyone left the ship all at once instead of in shifts. Chopper suggested they stay on the island for an extra week in case there were any sudden hemorrhaging inside Zoro’s head, wanting to be near the island’s medical facilities just in case.

The small reindeer had explained the crew’s situation to the islanders over the six weeks Zoro was unconscious, and since everyone had become quite attached to the presence of the Straw Hats, they were more than happy to lend their help and supplies if they were in need. 

Zoro lifted weights to gain back the muscle mass he had lost. It felt good to be left in silence, alone to concentrate on his workout. The windows in the Crow’s Nest were kept shut, trapping the heat from the sun high above him. The temperature greatly increased after breakfast, but it was welcomed. Sweat poured off Zoro’s body, trickling down the deep grooves of his muscles. He had lost count of how many curls he had done with his right, so he decided to switch to his left to match the ache with the same intensity.

A strong aura pushed into the outskirts of Zoro’s haki bubble. He paused mid-curl, confused why the cook would be back so soon, it seemed as if everyone had only just left. He blew a breath of air out, agitated by the idea of being interrupted, even though Sanji hadn’t _actually_ interrupted anything at all except Zoro’s mind. 

The swordsman set his weights on their rack and walked to the edge of the room. Looking down, he could see the blonde just now gracefully leaping onto the railing. The chef had a brown paper bag propped against his chest in one hand while the other was tucked away in a pocket. Zoro pushed the windowpane open, holding it up over his head. “Oi, what’re you doin back here?”

Sanji squinted his eyes to look up. He pulled his hand from his pocket and shielded his face from the blazing rays of the sun. “Lunch, idiot. What else?”

Zoro leaned back into the weight room to check the clock on the far wall. It took a few seconds for him to figure out the minute-hand but he eventually came to learn it was only 11:15 am. He stuck his head back out to yell at the blonde. “For who? Thought everyone agreed they’d eat on the island today.”

The blonde had made it to the galley, the door already halfway opened. “Luffy will be here soon. Nami took his allowance money because he’s reckless, as usual,” he said and before disappearing completely, he added, “and for you.”

Zoro grimaced, his mouth flattening into a straight line while his brows knitted tightly together. He couldn’t argue with the cook because of course he’d come back to fix lunch, even if it were just for him. _Damn idiot can’t ever let someone fend for themselves._

A loud _thud_ smacking against the grass told Sanji Zoro had jumped down to join him in the kitchen. Not a moment later, the galley door swung open and Zoro plopped himself down on a barstool. “I coulda made me’n Luf a sandwich, you know. I’m at least capable of that much.”

Sanji twirled around the kitchen, setting the fresh veggies onto a cutting board, putting the large hunk of meat still wrapped in its butcher paper next to the stove, and pulled out various knives and a pair of tongs. “I know,” was all the blonde said.

For the next ten minutes, Sanji diced the vegetables while some sort of steak meat seared in a pan. The delicious aroma of the meat browning in a bath of butter and onions had Zoro’s mouth-watering. He’d been so preoccupied with the smell that he didn’t even realize Sanji had already begun frying the veggies into a huge wok while a batch of rice steamed in a pot. The chef was so impossibly fast Zoro couldn’t believe the massive amounts of food he could produce in such little time. A bowl was set in front of him full of veggies over rice with four perfectly cooked slices of steak layered neatly atop it all. Sanji then returned to his cooking and Zoro watched as he dumped the remaining rice into the wok and poured soy sauce atop it all to cook together.

Zoro looked down at his food again. His bowl contained only white rice. “You didn’t...have to make this separate for me,” Zoro said quietly, stunned Sanji would take the extra step simply because he preferred steamed rice.

Without turning around, Sanji swished the wok over the high flame to toss the contents around and said, “I always do.”

The answer came fast. Hearing Sanji’s deep voice speak so little bugged Zoro for some reason. He felt like he needed to push for more conversation to continue hearing his voice, even if that meant breaking this sort of ‘truce’ they seemed to have right now. “Yeah, right,” Zoro scoffed and shoved a pile of rice into his mouth. “Like you care that much.”

Sanji turned this time. He wore a nasty sneer across his face. “Excuse me? Do you think so little of me to assume I wouldn’t consider everyone’s tastes?” he snapped, voice low and even. 

The sound of Sanji’s voice was making Zoro feel so weird, so strange. There was something different about it that made him long to hear more. The swordsman closed his eyes with a smile, happy to hear the cook speak. “Yeah, somethin like that.”

The wok was set on an unlit burner to rest, probably a little more forcibly than Sanji had intended. He turned on his heel and stalked over to the other side of the bar top to tower over Zoro. “Are you telling me you’ve never noticed after all this time?” he growled. 

Zoro finished off his bowl of food before looking up at the angry chef, chewing with big, full cheeks. “Noticed what?” he asked.

Sanji’s visible eye twitched. He reached in his pocket for a cigarette and snapped the lighter a few times at the end of it until the flame was successfully produced. His lungs happily filled to the brim with smoke, then he blew the entirety of it into Zoro’s face. “Fuck you, you piece of shit.”

Under normal circumstances, ones where Zoro had any idea what the hell was happening to him, he’d have decked Sanji in the jaw. Unfortunately for Zoro, though, the circumstances were _not_ normal and he had _no idea_ what the hell was happening to him. Because, instead of starting a fight with the cook, he felt drunk off the smell of cigarettes, desperate for more. This close was causing him to feel like he _craved_ it. Zoro’s eye flicked to Sanji’s lips that were loosely holding the cig. He didn’t think he could resist the urge to take it from him. The air only consisted of Sanji’s cigarette smoke and he’d rather suffocate than breathe anything else.

Brain on auto-pilot, Zoro reached up and plucked the cigarette out of the cook’s mouth and took a drag. As predicted, he coughed it all out, smoke billowing with every forced exhale. 

Gently, Sanji took his cig back so Zoro didn’t drop it. “What did you expect?”

“I - I thought-” _wheeze, cough,_ “I thought I needed it or-” _wheeze,_ “-something!”

With a light chuckle, Sanji rolled his eyes and slapped Zoro on the back with his free hand. “Baka, when are you going to learn it’s not the _nicotine_ that has you addicted, but the thing it’s _attached to?”_

Once he caught his breath, Zoro looked up at the cook wondering what the hell he meant by that. Ever so slowly, while staring directly into his eye, Sanji set his cigarette onto his lips, as if he were implying... _as if he were implying what? The damn cigarette is attached to_ ** _him?_** Zoro squinted his eye at the floorboards to let the wheels in his head turn and come to a better conclusion than that. _If he’s implying the cigarette is attached to him, and he said I was addicted to what it was attached to…_

Zoro snapped his head up to glare at Sanji. He opened his mouth to ask what the _fuck_ he meant by that but Luffy’s laughter could be heard at the bow of the ship as he sprung himself up over the railing.

“Sanjiiiii!!!! Food!”

Both of them looked at the clock on the wall, it reading 12:01 pm; right on time for a food-motivated captain to arrive.

Sanji quirked his stupid, curly eyebrow up and smirked at Zoro in a way that could only be interpreted as ' _what ya gonna do about it?'_ and that had Zoro seething. He left his bowl on the counter without taking care of it and stormed out of the kitchen.

“Oh, Zoro, leaving already?” Luffy asked, almost colliding into Zoro’s broad chest as he entered. “But I just got here! Eat with meeeee!”

“Oi, oi,” Zoro said, prying Luffy’s arms off him that suddenly coiled around his torso to prevent him from going any further. “I already ate, ya damn shit-head! Now let go of me!”

Luffy released his hold on his First Mate. “Don’t you want to spend time with me and Sanji?” he asked, his face turning to a pout. Zoro winced looking at those big, sad eyes. “Please? You were asleep for sooooo long, I missed you! Sanji missed you, too!” In the background, an annoyed _‘hey!’_ could be heard from within the kitchen.

Without waiting for Zoro to reply, Luffy grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the galley. The two sat at the table in their unofficial official spots. Luffy pounded on the wood and chanted for food while Zoro flopped his head into his hand with his elbow resting over the bouncing table.

“It’s right here, calm down,” Sanji said and brought a huge bowl over to sit in front of his needy captain. “Eat up.”

“Yay!” Luffy cheered. He lifted the bowl in both hands and tipped it back to make the huge pile of fried rice tumble into his widened mouth. Sanji barely had a chance to sit down before Luffy swallowed and asked for more, to which the blonde sighed and got him the second half that waited in the kitchen. 

“Did you like it?” Sanji asked with a smile. He lit another cigarette, turning his face to blow the smoke away from his captain. 

Zoro caught that. _He blows that shit in my face but not Luffy’s?_

“Duh! I love it extra salty!” Luffy said as he picked at the stray pieces of rice and broccoli bits from the bowl. He sucked on his fingers to taste the remaining remnants of his lunch and when he was satisfied he got everything, he stood and thanked Sanji before zooming away back into the city.

That left the swordsman alone with the cook. Zoro sighed. “I’m gonna get back to training. Thanks for lunch,” he said awkwardly. He hated this weird tension between them. _The damn bastard knows something and he’s not telling me. He stares at me as if he’s waiting for me to realize what that something is, too. Everything between us is a competition and I’m losing this battle quickly. The only one with the upper hand here is that curly eyebrow’d cook and the worst part about this battle is my own body is betraying me. I can’t fight this pull like he’s dragging me towards him on a damn leash._

“Thought you were going to take your leave?” Sanji asked cooly, blowing a bellow of smoke his way.

Zoro jumped, startled from his thoughts. He watched the smoke creep its way across the table and when it came in contact with him, it practically caressed his face with invitation. _Shit, I can’t stand up,_ he thought to himself. He was glued to the seat. He felt like he needed _more._ “Lemme hit that again. Prolly just need to get used to it.” Zoro held his hand out for the cigarette, repeatedly curling his fingers in a needy gesture.

It didn’t go unnoticed by the swordsman when the corner of Sanji’s mouth curled into a small smile. He hated seeing it. It was another clue he was on the losing end of this round. The blonde shrugged and passed his cigarette over. Zoro stared at it, twisting it in his pinched fingers wondering if he just took up smoking if it would help with these random cravings he had started getting suddenly.

 _“Fuck!”_ Zoro wheezed, inhaling too fast.

“What did I just get done telling you?!” Sanji barked, sitting up and snatching his cigarette back.

Zoro wiped a few stinging tears from the corner of his eye. He didn’t want to look at Sanji, not after that last statement implying he was addicted to...Zoro shuddered at the thought. “I don’t even know what the hell you mean, idiot,” he grumbled under his breath. This would have been a good time to move his feet and _leave_ but his boots seemed too heavy at the moment. 

“What do you _think_ it means, Marimo- _kun?_ ” Sanji mocked.

“I think it means…” Zoro started. He looked to Sanji who had ceased his joking and sat up straight to listen. His face looked hopeful. “I think it means you’re annoying me.” The swordsman forced himself from the table and left to the Crow’s Nest as fast as his feet would carry him.

___

_I feel like I’ve been put under a fucking spell,_ Zoro thinks as he lifts his body up and down for his second rep of handstand push-ups. _Most times I’m not affected as heavily, but there are some instances where I am completely swallowed by the cook’s existence._

The first time it happened so intensely, the crew had been eating dinner at the table together a few days ago. Everyone had just about finished all of their food by then; Chopper and Nami seemed to still be picking at their plates while everyone chatted with full bellies.

As usual, when Sanji finished his portion and made sure the ladies had everything they needed, he lit up a cigarette. It was a routine that every Straw Hat knew, normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Except the first _snap_ of the flint wheel roughly spinning against Sanji’s thumb had Zoro’s eyes flicking to its source. The lighter didn’t light on the first try, _snap, snap, snap,_ and Zoro didn’t blink. The table chatter melted away and the swordsman could clearly hear the faint _whoosh_ of flame ignite and the crinkling tobacco leaves burn as Sanji took his first drag, all as if it were right next to his ear. He’d seen this scene a thousand times yet he was so transfixed by it he couldn't look away.

“See something you like?” Robin cooed into his ear, winking at the blonde across the table. Zoro was broken from his trance, blinking away his glazed stare. He watched Sanji lean over the table to tell Chopper, ‘See, told you he likes it,’ and Robin softly giggled next to him.

The second time Zoro felt as if he had been spellbound by a damn witch was when he had been on his way to the bathroom to grab Chopper’s brushes and combes. Chopper had taken a bath and the reindeer asked if he’d brush through his fur, which of course Zoro agreed to.

The bathroom was occupied by someone else now. Sanji had finished his bath and was now styling his hair with the blow dryer, a fluffy towel loosely hanging from his hips, and a goofy smirk on his face as he stared at his image in the mirror. 

It would have been an easy encounter, after all, this scene had also been done several times before. Same old things with the same old people. Zoro came up behind the cook and reached for the cupboard on his left to grab the small black bag full of supplies just for Chopper, but that’s when he was struck with a wave of an intense and intoxicating aroma. He felt frozen in place, eye slowly closing while a smile grew on his lips. The smell was familiar to him, he’d smelled it before but never cared to place its source. 

Zoro’s body moved without him knowing. He turned and followed the blissful smell. The loud _whirring_ of the blow dryer was so loud in his ears making it easier for him to ignore the rest of the world. He was inches away from golden locks. The ends of Sanji’s hair tickled his nose as he pressed his face closer.

“Marimo?” Sanji had asked curiously. Zoro’s eye snapped open. The heavy buzz of the hairdryer had stopped at some point and he was left with an awkward silence. Realizing the source of the delectable smell was Sanji’s shampoo and he had embarrassingly been rubbing his face against the back of Sanji’s head, he tried taking a step back to put space between them, but couldn’t. Something was stopping him. Gradually leaning to the side around Sanji’s head, he looked into the mirror to view their reflection. He saw huge, tan arms around Sanji’s naked torso. Arms that looked like they belonged to…?

In a jolt, Zoro had let go and rushed from the bathroom far, far away from the ship’s cook.

Things had been awkward after that, at least for Zoro. It was even _more_ awkward because the stupid curly-brow idiot would smile at with him one of those _knowing_ smiles that only Robin gives. 

And when the third instance happened, Zoro knew something was up.

It had been five days total since Zoro had woken from his coma. It was a nice day, the boat gently rocked with the waves, and the whole crew had gotten together for lunch. While the girls lounged in their chairs under the sun, the three youngest boys ran around the ship to burn off their food. Zoro sat against the mainmast to fall into a nice session of meditation. He had plenty of practice to tune out the chaos of the Straw Hats long before this and today would have been no different.

As the sounds of the beach and dock melded away, Zoro concentrated on creating his room of white. Luffy’s laughing, Chopper’s hooves clicking against the wood, and Usopp’s shrill screaming soon became nothing to him. The walls had successfully been put up. The salty air no longer registered as an ocean for him, only another form of breathing. The whiteness of his room became brighter and stronger. He was fully enveloped.

He didn’t know how long he had been deeply emerged, but Zoro suddenly had an unrecognizable feeling within his meditation. Where there normally was nothing at all, now there had been a sensation in the back of his mind. Zoro concentrated harder, thinking he had done a poor job of losing the constant presence of his Haki. The room was right, though - the walls surrounding him were high enough he couldn’t see the top, the white was blinding, and nothing existed around him.

Nothing except for that odd sensation. It wasn’t an unwelcome feeling, don’t get him wrong. Zoro _liked_ this distraction despite knowing what it was. Determined to figure it out, Zoro zeroed in on it to draw out a stronger connection and he ended up creating a sense around it: sound. It was a sound that Zoro had been sensing, which struck him as irregular because sound was easy to ignore, it _had to be_ on _this_ loud-ass ship.

The sound that penetrated the safe walls of his meditation was soothing. He felt at peace hearing it. Sometimes it would seem as if it were far away and he’d have to strain his concentration to continue hearing it. Other times it seemed like it was moving around him. It didn’t matter where the sound went, Zoro would follow it. Never had he felt a new sensation inside his meditation walls, it was surprising he could keep them up while the intrusion existed.

The sound was loud again. Zoro hardly had to focus on it because it made it hard _not_ to hear it. The swordsman wished every meditation session from now on would have such a nice sound.

“MOSS-HEAD!” the sound said and hit him on his head. _Wait, no, not the sound,_ Zoro thought as he opened his eye and rubbed the sore spot. It was the Cook talking to him and night had fallen. “Wake the fuck up, dinner is ready.”

___

Zoro couldn’t get the idea he’d been bewitched out of his head. He’d never experienced an interruption while still actively meditating before. Although he wasn’t upset with what had happened, he still would like to know _why_ it happened, why it was possible. He’d spent two years perfecting his already impenetrable meditative state, and yet something weaseled its way inside his white walls and took over his entire being. He ate alone in the Crow’s Nest, too overwhelmed by the unknown for company.

After dinner, Zoro asked Chopper if he’d go over a few tests now instead of in the morning like he had been doing all week. Chopper smiled but Zoro could see the concern on his face. It wasn’t like Zoro to ask for help in any sort and he knew it was a dead giveaway something was truly bothering him.

Zoro sat on the infirmary bed watching Chopper grab his clipboard and climb onto his spinny chair. “Okay, Zoro! How have you been feeling since this morning? Anything different? Does your head hurt?” the reindeer asked, trying to mask his curiosity.

“No, not any more than usual,” Zoro said awkwardly. He wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject he meant to talk about.

“More than usual?” Chopper whined. “Do you mean behind your eye?”

Zoro nodded to his doctor and waved the subject away. He didn’t want to lose his confidence. “That’s not a big deal, I just...there’s something I wanted to ask you. I wanted to know if you knew anything about meditation?”

Chopper cocked his head to the side as he stared at his crewmate. A small arm reached above his head to pull his hat off and scratch behind a furry ear. “Well, yes, I know about many things. But don’t you know about meditation, too? Surely, you know more than me!” Zoro shook his head and said he didn’t have an answer for it. “Oh, I see. Okay, what did you want to know?”

“Uh, I guess I am wondering why-” Zoro stopped, frustrated he didn’t know how to explain the _thing_ to him. “When I’m submerged, I fall into a state of nothing-”

“Right, that’s what meditation is!” Chopper interrupted. Zoro growled, making Chopper squeak and apologize.

“I know, dammit. What I mean is, the place I put myself in is empty except for white. I like to focus on that color. It’s peaceful for me. It’s tranquil. And - and I am good at meditating when around you crazy hooligans. I have to be.” Chopper nodded for Zoro to continue. “I can’t describe how easy it is for me to let go of everything around me, but it just is. But today was different.”

Chopper sat up straighter in his chair and Zoro waited for him to quit scribbling away onto his clipboard. When he was done, he looked back up at the swordsman and nodded. “Has it ever been different before?”

“No, that’s the thing,” Zoro said immediately. “Maybe when I first started doing it like six or seven years ago, but I’d like to say I’ve mastered my perfect meditative state for a few years now. It’s always the same thing, white walls and nothing else. I’ve never _allowed_ anything else.”

“So tell me what made today so different?”

Zoro rubbed his hands over his knees to dry the sweat that began forming on his palms. He didn’t like sharing his damn feelings or concerns, he was fully capable of handling it on his own. “I heard something.” 

Chopper waited for more but Zoro stayed quiet. “What did you hear?” he prompted.

“I….I don’t know what it was. It was just there.” Again, Chopper waited for Zoro and as soon as he opened his mouth to tell him to elaborate, Zoro said quietly, “And it was familiar.”

That struck the doctor as odd. “But you said it’s never happened so how could it seem familiar? Do you mean you’ve heard the sound outside of meditation?” 

“Oh.”

“‘Oh,’ what?” Chopper asked.

“I hadn’t thought of it like that, that I’ve heard it outside of my state. Since I couldn’t place what it was I didn’t think it could actually exist.” Chopper asked Zoro to describe the sound and he said he couldn’t. “It’s not like that, it didn’t have a form, it just _was.”_

The whole explanation was stumping Chopper. He may have had plenty of knowledge pertaining to meditation but he’s never had any experience so this was entirely foreign to him to try to decipher. “What if you heard the sound again? Do you think if you heard it you’d be able to know-”

“Chopper? You in here?” the sound asked from behind the door after a light knock. Zoro stiffened at hearing the sound, alarm bells going off in his head so loud he couldn’t concentrate on what the sound was currently telling the doctor. The sound had a face! The sound had a _voice!_

 _No, no, the voice_ **is** _the sound! That’s the source!_ Zoro could feel sweat falling down his temples as he internally screamed, waiting for the cook to leave the room. His knuckles were turning white from the forceful grip he had on the edges of the bed.

Once the door was shut, Chopper turned his attention back on his patient. “Zoro, are you okay? You don’t look well!”

 _“That was it! That was the sound!”_ Zoro hissed through clenched teeth. He couldn’t bear to admit it was the damn chef who had interrupted him while meditating. A zillion thoughts raced through his head trying to find an answer as to why the cook would be able to penetrate his mind like that.

The doctor had jumped to his feet in his seat with excitement. “You heard it that fast?! What was it?!” he asked with a huge smile and waved his arms up and down.

“W-what the hell did that guy want?!” Zoro blurted. “Why did he come in here?!”

Chopper’s joy faded when he realized Zoro wasn’t happy to have figured out the sound’s source. “Who? Sanji? He was letting me know they were making s’mores. I can’t wait to have one!”

The wound on the side of Zoro’s head throbbed. He could feel it pulsing. “Why...why the cook? Why the cook?”

“What do you mean?” Chopper asked. He quickly climbed down from his chair and grabbed a thermometer. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you’re on the verge of passing out!” he said and climbed on top of the bed and shoved the device into the swordsman’s mouth to take his temperature. Zoro swayed back and forth. “What’s going on? What did you hear?!”

“It was him, it was the sound - the cook is the sound,” Zoro groaned. It didn’t make sense. There were too many things that pointed him in the cook’s direction and he was missing too much information to know _why, why, why!_

“Sanji was the sound you heard while in your meditative state?” Chopper asked and pulled the thermometer out from under Zoro’s tongue. He looked it over and it seemed fine but Zoro’s face read anything but. “You didn’t know it was Sanji you were hearing, though, until just now?”

 _Fuck. Fuck, fuck, FUCK. Why does everything start and end with that damn guy? What fucking happened in all my memories that I can’t remember? There’s more, I know there’s more._ “There’s an explanation, right? Why him and no one else? Did something happen between us that I don’t know about?”

The doctor jumped down from the bed and went to his desk. He seemed to have been fishing through a stack of papers and when he finally found what he was looking for, he waved it at Zoro. It was a small notepad. Chopper flicked through a few pages before reading, his large eyes darting back and forth as he read through the scribbled words. “It’s possible…” he started, trailing off as he continued to the next page. “It’s very possible…”

“What is?! What do you know?!” Zoro asked, sliding off the bed and crouching next to Chopper to read over his shoulder. In the notebook was mostly Chopper's thick handwriting, but mixed in throughout the notes was a slanted, cursive font that Zoro instantly recognized as the cook’s. It looked almost comical next to Chopper’s writing, the kid could barely hold a pen with those huge hooves. Sanji’s was thin in comparison while Chopper’s was blocky, practically night and day.

Looking up at Zoro, Chopper searched in his grey eye for confirmation. “Sanji spent a lot of time in here while you were unconscious. Every day he-”

“Why was he in here?” Zoro desperately asked.

“I- I don’t know why he wanted to be in here, but he did, and he volunteered himself to help me take care of you,” Chopper said, returning to the notes. “Like I was trying to say, every day he read to you. He even wrote the titles down here,” he said, pointing to the papers.

“Read to me?” Zoro asked with a sneer. “Why would he do that? And what do you mean he helped take care of me? What exactly were his duties?” Zoro leaned against the gurney with crossed arms. Since hearing the sound outside of his meditative state, his heart hadn’t stopped pounding. Calmly closing his eye to still his thumping chest, he listened to what Chopper had to say.

“He did many things! Things I’d never expected him to do and things I’d certainly never ask of him or any of the others. He was very kind, good _nakama!”_ Chopper squeaked, his cheery voice back. “It was very nice of him, too. I should make him something as a thank you! Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Anyway, I think it might be possible you heard Sanji inside your meditative state because his voice was a constant variable in your subconscious.”

Zoro was about to prompt for more, but Usopp and Luffy barged into the infirmary with sticky faces and fingers, marshmallows everywhere. All the giggles and wiggles that came from Chopper let Zoro know he’d already forgotten the current conversation. The little doctor was swept away and Zoro was alone, the door left slightly ajar.

From here, Zoro could hear the distant cheers and laughter that Chopper had joined the s’mores party, his sweet tooth too great to ignore by anyone. With such an adorable little face as his, anyone would want to feed him his favorite foods, it was only natural. He couldn’t be upset with the others for stealing him away when he was in the middle of a crisis only the two of them knew of. Shaking his head with a small smile, Zoro pushed off the bed and was going to follow after them, but in the corner of his eye, he saw the notebook on Chopper’s desk.

It was all too tempting to ignore. Not when Sanji’s handwriting was _very_ present in those notes. Some pages were filled with more cursive than Chopper’s clunky writing. Zoro had to know what the cook had to say while he was unconscious.

Sitting at the desk, he tucked his legs under the table and lifted the notebook in both hands. The top of the page said WEEK 3: DAY 6, so he flipped the pages back until he saw what looked like the beginning.

There wasn’t a title as obvious as ‘WEEK 1’ but the smear of blood on the page and frantic notes that Chopper must have jotted down in a hurry told Zoro this had to be the same day he was knocked out.

**_11:48 pm_ **

**_-Blunt force trauma to left side of cranium_ **

**_-Possible internal bleeding - perform scan(s)_ **

**_-Severe bruising reaches opposite side of head_ **

**_-Eye(s?) unresponsive - possible blood-filled eye on left side (can’t open)_ **

**_-Shallow breathing_ **

**_2:12 am_ **

**_-Confirmed traumatic brain injury - severe hemorrhaging_ **

**_-Mild swelling of brain_ **

**_6:30 am_ **

**_-Drained cranial blood_ **

**_8:45 am_ **

**_-Cleaned and stitched (13) - wound approx. 2.5in_ **

**_-Breathing returned to normal_ **

**_2:40pm_ **

**_-Room cleaned, Zoro still under a sedative, no signs of waking any time soon. I waited a long time but I’ve diagnosed him with a GCS Score of 3. I thought for sure he’d wake up in the middle of me drilling through the bone so I dosed him triple the amount a normal human can take. Apparently even Zoro couldn’t withstand that blow to the head._ **

**_-Dismissed need of ventilator, still breathing normally, keep checking_ **

**_-Ask Luffy and Sanji to describe the weapon better. How did it take down Zoro?_ **

Zoro sat there with his jaw slack. He lifted his hand to feel the side of his head where the weapon, he thinks he remembers Usopp telling him it was a hammer, knocked him unconscious. It seemed a bit surreal to read the aftereffects, the detailed information everyone had left out. Zoro noted the timestamps Chopper had scribbled and realized the poor kid had been working on him for over twelve hours.

Skimming the next few days' worth of notes, Zoro saw that Sanji hadn’t started adding his thoughts until over a week later.

**_WEEK 2: DAY 2_ **

**_9:30 am_ **

**_-No changes_ **

_10:20 am_

_-Not true. He stinks._

Zoro audibly laughed. The first thing Sanji had written about him had been about his hygiene, which was _such_ a Sanji reaction. He could hardly stop smiling as he read and _reread_ those four words. They said nothing but at the same time, everything. It was strange Sanji felt the need to document that particular detail, though. It may have been a Sanji thing to _write,_ but it wasn’t a Sanji thing to _do_ \- why did he care so much to even notice Chopper had been taking notes. Just how much time _did_ he spend in here? _Chopper said he spent every day with me…_ Zoro’s stomach began to hurt again. He rubbed his lower abs with a groan, his smile fading.

There was a loud burst of laughter that startled Zoro from his thoughts. He jerked his head towards the door and realized it was still partway open. Deciding it was best to read such things in secret, Zoro got up and gently closed the door before continuing to the next note Sanji left.

**_WEEK 2: DAY 4_ **

**_9:30 am_ **

**_-CT scan (#2) still shows no sign of brain damage_ **

**_-No signs of pneumonia despite my prediction_ **

**_-Turning Zoro over early has prevented any muscle depletion, do as often as possible_ **

**_-Feeding and tests, feeding and tests - I feel like I’m not doing enough! He will wake up!_ **

**_12:30 pm_ **

**_-Restocked saline and electrolytes (thank you, Nurse Terry!)_ **

_12:45pm_

_-Let me help._

Zoro blinked. The note was even shorter than the first one, yet this carried more weight. This was the day Sanji decided to go out of his way to help Zoro. He still couldn’t fathom why he’d do such a thing, so he read on, hoping to find the reason somewhere within the cursive writing.

**_11:00pm_ **

**_-Trained Sanji on drip change, syringe feeding, catheter cleaning, and bag changeout. Quick learner._ **

Reading that made Zoro want to gag, cringe, and die all at once, but not before shivering at the memory of pulling out the gross tube up his dick-hole before the crew had fallen into the room with him that day. Seconds after ripping off the tube taped to his thigh, Chopper burst through the door and Sanji was on his heels. The thought made his cheeks turn pink, but he was turning _red_ thinking of the damn cook seeing him like that - _and fucking touching it! This bastard fucking took care of that shit, too!? That’s so disgusting - why would he do such a thing for me? Fuck, that’s nasty!_

_WEEK2: DAY 5_

_6:30 am_

_-Still sleeping like a log. Looks like an idiot._

_7:30 am_

_-Fed already, Chopper._

_-Still stinks._

**_9:30 am_ **

**_-No changes._ **

**_12:30_ **

**_-Trained Sanji on proper bathing performances after feeding#2_ **

_2:30 pm_

_-Cleaned._

_-Did you know his hair was this light? Does this idiot even use shampoo?!_

_Oh, for fuck’s sake,_ Zoro thought. _Not only did he take care of my piss tube, but also washed my dick, too. Good-to-fucking-know!_ Zoro sighed with a shake of his head. Maybe reading what Sanji did was not a good idea. They said he was out for six weeks and he was only on the second one and already regretting what he had learned.

The idea of Sanji seeing his dick wasn’t the problem here. Zoro lived on a ship with a bunch of dudes and two women...and a skeleton and small reindeer...but living in such close quarters with the same people, you tend to see things you weren’t supposed to. It happens. He can’t count how many times he’s walked in on Nami washing Robin’s back or Usopp hunched over the stool viciously scrubbing his snarly hair. He’s seen the cook change from underwear to a three-piece suit and knows what a skeleton looks like naked - which he wasn’t even sure if that counted as being naked. And Franky _lives_ in a speedo - does anyone realize how hairy that guy is?! Regardless, it didn’t matter if anyone saw Zoro naked because, at this point in the Straw Hat’s _nakamaship,_ it would be pointless to care.

What _did_ have Zoro’s ass-hair tied in a knot was the Cook _handled_ his dick. It didn’t say anything specific in the notes but clearly, if he was given a sponge bath then he’d have gotten his crotch, too, right? And the piss tube had to be cleaned, meaning it had to be taken out and put back in! Zoro shivered again at the thought of that tube going in such a small hole that it most definitely didn’t belong in.

At the same time, though, Zoro thought about all the other members of the crew and wondered if he’d have wanted anyone else to do such confidential tasks. Sanji may be his perfect rival next to Mihawk, but that didn’t dismiss their obvious friendship. _At least, I’d like to think we were friends. Shit, the guy is my_ **best** _friend._

Suddenly, reading of Sanji ‘handling’ him didn’t seem so strange. It was weird because he wasn’t a doctor and Zoro was sure he could never look the man in the eye again, but after reading the week’s worth of notes from Chopper, the kid had to have been exhausted. _I mean, he’s only what - sixteen? Seventeen years old? I’m probably the first vegetable he’d ever had to take care of. Guess it was a good thing someone stepped in to help. I hate that I owe the Cook now but I guess if it had to be anyone on the ship, I ain't entirely mad that it was my best friend._

_9:45 pm_

_-A little late feeding! Sorry, Marimo & Chopper. _

_-Appetite by Philip Kazan_

Zoro wrinkled his brow at the last note. He wasn’t sure who Philip Kazan was or why it had to be written down.

 _Oh!_ Zoro internally said as a thought occurred to him. _Is that a book title? Appetite? Chopper had mentioned he wrote down the books he read to me. Fuckin sap actually read to me every day? God, didn’t he have anything better to do?_

Even though Zoro stayed perplexed as to why Sanji took the time to read to him, he couldn’t help feel his chest tighten and the pit in his stomach get heavier. Zoro hated that he recognized how intimate it felt to read Sanji taking care of him so he thumbed through a few pages and skipped to the later weeks, wondering if Sanji eventually grew bored of taking care of him. To his surprise, though, it looked the exact opposite. The entries were more frequent and longer. Sanji began to use full sentences instead of jotting a few words down.

_WEEK 4: DAY 3_

_6:30 am_

_-Still asleep. The color of his skin seems to have lightened. He doesn’t look well, honestly. I should ask Chopper if he’s getting enough nutrients and if there is anything I can do to help._

_7:30 am_

_-Fed_

**_9:30 am_ **

**_-No changes._ **

_10:15 am_

_-Finished another one. Gonji: Red Blade from the East by T.C. Rypel. I’d like to think the Marimo liked this one. It had intense battles with loads of blood. Not my thing but I know Zoro has a liking for violence. Robin suggested it. I’ll have to confirm it was the perfect pick for him._

_12:30 pm_

_-Fed._

_-Bathed._

_-He smoked two cigarettes with me instead of three. Look how good I’m being!_

_6:40pm_

_-Do you think he will wake up soon? I want to talk to him about the samurai and his fighting style. I know Zoro would have better words to describe how...fluid it was? The author did a fantastic job - I could picture it clearly!_

**_8:20pm_ **

**_-Stop smoking in the infirmary!_ **

_9:30 pm_

_-How many times do I have to tell you he likes it? I’ll point it out sometime, then you’ll see._

_-Fed._

That caught Zoro’s attention. He had noticed after he woke from his coma that the smell of Sanji’s cigarettes had become increasingly more appealing to him and he hadn’t known why. Could it have been because he was laying in a room of smoke for six weeks, breathing in the nicotine alongside the cook? It would explain why he had become addicted to it.

 _Addicted._ The word echoed in his mind. Sanji had looked at him with a smug smile after witnessing him choking on the smoke from his first inhale. _‘When are you going to learn it’s not the_ **nicotine** _that has you addicted, but the thing it’s_ **attached to?’** _he had said to me. He said I wasn’t addicted to the cigarettes like he knew I was feeling the pull towards them. Did he know I’d react this way after inhaling the smoke the whole time? Did he fucking condition me?!_

_WEEK 6: DAY 1_

_6:30 am_

_-Still sleeping like a brat. No sores, I checked twice. We’re taking good care of him, Chopper. His skin color has gone back to normal, I think the uppage in his electrolytes worked._

_-Only a few more pages left, I can’t wait to finish it with him. I only stopped last night because I knew I wouldn’t have been able to sleep so I found a good stopping point._ _Will continue after breakfast._ _Will finish after lunch._

_7:30 am_

_-Fed_

_-Changed bags - we’re going to need a third one, Chopper. I accidentally snagged the second one. Sorry!_

_-Bathed, all clean! Doesn’t he smell so much better? He should use my shampoo all the time, I’m sure his hair will thank me - which, by the way, has grown quite long, hasn’t it? It’s beautiful._

**_9:30 am_ **

**_-No changes._ **

_12:30 pm_

_-Fed_

_1:45pm_

_-The Blade of the Courtesans by Keiichirô Ryû. So good! I wonder what Zoro would think of all the political warfare that tied into the main character’s life? I know he’s not one for politics but I’d like to think he has some sort of opinion regarding the fictional ones Ryû-san tied in._

_7:10pm_

_-Smoked three instead of two this time. Sorry. Please wake up._

_9:30 pm_

_-Fed_

_11:25pm_

_-Goodnight, Zoro._

Zoro felt light. All of these entries were full of paragraphs of just Sanji taking care of him. Chopper had left most of the lighter duties to him while the doctor focused on tests, which Zoro saw happened every morning after he'd had his ‘breakfast.’

It was intimate. What Sanji was doing was very intimate and Zoro felt warm. He didn’t know what that warm feeling meant but he remembered feeling something similar before. Actually, now that he is thinking about it, that situation was quite comparable to what he was reading. Back on Thriller Bark, he had been swimming in and out of unconsciousness after he’d taken on all of Luffy’s pain. Sanji had been there at his side for a while, and Zoro remembers him speaking to him as if he could reply and take part in the conversation Sanji seemed to be having with him. 

Now _that_ was a strange feeling in his gut. Twisted knots, for sure. _I wonder if Sanji always talks to me when I’m unconscious,_ Zoro thought as he turned the page to the next entry. It looked as if it were the last one.

_WEEK 6: DAY 2_

_6:30 am_

_-Still asleep._

_-Brushed his hair. It’s so soft after a good comb through! Who knew?_

_7:30 am_

_-Fed_

**_9:30 am_ **

**_-No changes._ **

_12:45pm_

_-Late on feeding, sorry Marimo. Sometimes Luffy needs fourths and fifths before returning to his shift down at the docks. As if he doesn’t eat enough damn crabs down there. If you woke up, I wouldn’t need to feel shitty for being late! Please wake up?_

_7:30 pm_

_-Rolled on right side_

**_-Good job. I was going to suggest a move in the morning!_ **

Zoro must have woken up before Sanji could give him his dose of ‘dinner’ because it ended there. Weeks worth of writing and all of it was for the sake of taking care of Zoro. Two emotions pumped through his veins after taking that all in.

The first was gratefulness. He didn’t think he could express anything else fancier than that, but he was deeply grateful for Chopper and, surprisingly, Sanji. He shouldn’t be surprised, though, because wouldn’t he do the same for him if the roles were reversed? Usopp had told him Zoro had claimed the position of Sanji’s babysitter when he was turned into a kid, which confirms Zoro truly _would_ do the same if the roles were reversed. Does that mean Sanji only did all of this because he felt indebted to him?

The second emotion was a similar feeling to...hurt? _That’s not right, that makes me sound like a pussy. I don’t know how to describe it. The way Sanji looked at me when he said I was addicted to the thing his cigarette was attached to rather than the stick itself makes me feel like he smoked in the room on purpose, like, like he wanted me to think of him every time he smoked? That’s the only answer I can think of for these episodes I’ve been having any time he sparks up. He’s fucking bewitched me. Was this part of a competition? Did he think I’d lose at a game like this? What sort of battle is it, though? How do I win?_

_Whatever. I’ll thank him for everything, then I’ll confront him about the conditioning. I need to know what game he’s playing at because I refuse to lose against him._

_____

There was only one day left before the Straw Hats were scheduled to set sail from the island of Amaryllis. The crew, minus Zoro, had spent most of the day saying their goodbyes to the friends they had made over the seven weeks they’d been there. Nami had said they needed to leave in the morning before a storm rolled in, preventing them from leaving for another two days.

Since the swordsman had made no contacts during the trip, he thought he’d tag along with Luffy down at the docks. The bars weren’t open this early in the morning, despite how hard he pounded on the doors, and he’d seen enough of the ship that he needed a good change of scenery. Luffy decided for him by coiling an arm around his torso and springing them off into the distance to the working docks on the other side of the island.

The sun was high and hot, but the wind was present enough to be a welcomed relief. Zoro tied his trench coat around his waist and helped the fishermen unload crates from that morning’s haul, loving the sun on his shoulders. Luffy sat on a railing of one of the ships and swung his feet back and forth. It didn’t bother Zoro to see his captain slacking off, just made him shake his head and smile because it was Luffy being Luffy.

Many of the other ship’s crewmen ended up surrounding Zoro because they had heard what had happened to him and also because they were impressed with how easily the man lifted four crates at once. They asked to see the scar the hammer left and he had to explain the hammer didn’t leave a mark, but the drill Chopper used to bore a hole into the bone did. The men whistled when they heard his skull was filled with blood. Zoro had to put a hand to a few men’s chests to get them to back off, them all too curious to see the scar. Then they asked about his eye and chest scars and Zoro couldn’t help but think how boring it must be on this stupid flower island if they were so easily intrigued by his battle wounds. 

All the attention had made him feel uncomfortable but he stayed patient with the workers because as he looked around at them all, he saw their faces clean of scars, their arms clear of tattoos or burns, and their eyes innocent. Even though their ages ranged from seventeen to over sixty, each one of them looked to be just as pure as Chopper. So of course, Zoro being the nice guy he was, humored them by telling a few details here and there to get them to back off. It ended up being more work than the labor and it exhausted the swordsman. He really wanted that drink.

When Zoro was finally able to shoo them away to get back to their duties, Luffy jumped down from the perch he’d propped himself on, his sandals hitting the slippery dock with a loud _smack._ Zoro turned and nodded to his captain and continued carrying the next load of crates to the wagon. Luffy followed.

“Do you think you’ll ever get your memories back?” he asked, trailing behind the taller man. Zoro heaved the stack onto the cart and turned to Luffy, hands on his hips. “Don’t you feel like you’re missing something important?”

“Well yeah, course I do,” Zoro sighed. “But I can’t change what’s done, Luf. Besides, you all filled me in well enough, don’t ya think?”

Luffy made a face, his _lying_ face. Puckering his lips and looking anywhere but at his First Mate, Luffy said, “Yeaaah, we told you everything.”

Zoro rolled his eye. “Will you tell me what happened? The part I’m missing?” Zoro asked. Luffy started to make a noise that sounded as if he were trying to whistle, clearly avoiding Zoro’s questions. “C’mon, Luffy! You’re covering something up! Spit it out!” Rocking back and forth on his heels, Luffy still feigned ignorance. “You little shit, c’mere!” Zoro growled and lunged at Luffy in an attempt to wring his neck.

“Can’t say! Robin told me not to!” Luffy laughed as Zoro shook him. “Sorry, Zoro!”

“Since when do you listen to anyone?!” Zoro yelled. The wagon driver looked worried he’d be caught up in the scuffle and hobbled off his seat to put some distance between him and the two Straw Hats. 

Laughing his head off, Luffy said, “Robin said it was important though. Said if I wanted you to feel better, you had to find out on your own!”

At that, Zoro let out a loud and exaggerated sigh after letting Luffy go. Scratching the back of his head, he stared down the path that led into town. “S’pose you can’t tell me if it involves that damn cook, neither?” he asked. He looked to Luffy who now had both hands wrapped tight around his mouth to prevent himself from spilling anything. He made little whiny noises that told Zoro he was _dying_ to tell him. “It does have to do with him, doesn’t it?” Luffy viciously shook his head, squeezing his hands even tighter over his face. Zoro didn’t expect to get anything out of Luffy, but not because he wouldn’t tell him. He figured Luffy wouldn’t know if anything happened between the cook and himself, but he did and wouldn’t say. Zoro felt slightly snubbed by his captain, his shoulders visibly sagging after confirming his suspicions. Realizing he would get nowhere with the other, Zoro nodded he understood he was under strict orders not to say anything. “Think I’m gonna head back.”

“Awwww, I didn’t mean to make you sad!” Luffy immediately said and jumped on Zoro’s front. He wrapped his legs around Zoor’s waist and buried his face into his shoulder. “I want to tell you sooooo bad! I really do!”

Zoro gently patted Luffy’s back and quietly said, “I know you do. It’s alright. Don’t let me ruin your day.” Luffy giggled and slid back to the ground. His smile was at least a mile wide, splitting his face in two. It was hard not to mirror such a joyful grin. And, if Luffy trusted him enough to learn everything on his own, then he had to trust himself, too. His captain always had his best interest in mind. “See ya,” he said with a wave and left towards the ship.

___

As the day grew into night, Sanji wondered where Zoro headed off to. A few hours ago he had come back from helping Luffy, then showered, changed, and left again before Sanji could ask what his plans were for tonight. Since everyone wanted to eat on the island one last time, Sanji planned on asking Zoro if he would join him on the ship for dinner.

Deciding the only places Zoro would ever care to go would be a bar or restaurant, Sanji quickly freshened up before leaving the ship. The ladies were already gone with Chopper so he needn’t check on any of them. Usopp was rushing Franky along because he was excited to head back to the casino and Brook was playing babysitter to Luffy for the night somewhere in the city depths.

Sanji ran a comb through his hair a few times, reapplied deodorant, gave a few spritzes of cologne under his chin, and grabbed his blazer. Today he was sporting a deep navy blue suit with a light grey tie. He decided on his brown shoes rather than black to spice it up a bit. He looked damn good and he knew it. There would be people offering themselves up to him no matter where he went. Sanji smiled as he walked down the gangplank. The light _clicking_ of his heels echoed against the water below the deck.

There were only two bars on the whole island. Sanji had come to learn this place wasn’t much for trouble or alcoholics, so two was plenty. The nearest one would have Zoro cringing so hard into himself he’d turn inside out. Buttercup was for the younger crowd, and although Zoro was of the right age-range, the activities that went on there were of no interest to the swordsman. Flashy lights, loud, thumping music, and dancing bodies from wall-to-wall. Sanji didn’t even bother looking there. Zoro would have steered clear from it just from the outside presence alone.

Meaning he was definitely at Amaranth. It set further into town on a side street and you’d miss it if you weren’t actively looking for it. Zoro could smell booze from a mile away like some damn bloodhound, his directionally challenged brain immune when it came to finding bars. 

Stepping inside, the air smelled old and stale. They needed to open some windows more than once a month, that was for sure. Other than that, the place was tidy. Lights dimmed low, your choice between a booth, table, or bar seating, and one person up on a small stage lightly strumming on an acoustic guitar while he wallowed into a mic about heartbreak. There was no doubt Sanji would find the swordsman here.

Scanning over the patrons, Sanji saw a head of moss sitting at the bar. He wore a white t-shirt far too tight for his bulging muscles and his usual black pants and horrendous boots. He wasn’t alone, either. A tall woman stood leaning against him, stroking her fingers across his back while whispering in his ear. Sanji’s eye twitched but how could he object when Zoro didn’t even know they had gotten together? He didn’t even know they confessed their love to each other, he didn’t know they knew what the other tasted like.

As much as he loved the ladies, he was going to have to ruin the mood by starting a fight of some sort with his partner to get her to leave. Approaching the two of them, Sanji was only a few feet away when Zoro abruptly yelled, “I said I ain’t interested!” and forcefully shoved the woman back. She bumped into the barstool next to them looking shocked, then burst into tears. She joined a large group in the far corner, her friends now consoling her.

That was _unacceptable!_ Even if Sanji hated it, that was _no way at all_ to treat a lady! How dare that asshole! Without a second thought, Sanji spun on his heel and kicked the back of Zoro’s head. It slammed into the bar top but didn’t bounce back, he sat there motionless, slumped over, face mushed against the counter. The bar went quiet and light gasps and whispering began. Sanji looked around nervously, easily forgetting this town didn’t turn to violence as easy as the Straw Hats did. He smiled and waved his apologies to the nearby tables and bartender.

“You shouldn’t treat women like that, asshole,” Sanji grumbled as he took a seat next to Zoro, who still hadn’t picked his head up. “Oi, I didn’t even kick you that hard,” _did I? I swear I didn’t put my full force into it._ “Marimo?” Sanji asked, shaking his shoulder. _Fuck, did I just put him into another coma?!_ “Marimo!” he yelled.

Very sluggishly, Zoro lifted his head. A string of sticky blood connected from his nose to the counter, a small pool where his face had been. Sanji waited for him to say something but he continued staring at the space in front of him, his mouth slightly hanging open.

“Zoro?”

Hearing his name, Zoro turned to face the blonde. He raised his eyebrows at him and blinked a few times as if he were ridding something from his vision, then shook his head back and forth like a wet dog. “...Yeah,” he said, confirming he was listening. He acted like Sanji kicked the life out of him _\- as if!_

Seeing Zoro was alright, Sanji went on to reprimand him. “I said you shouldn’t treat women like that. You were too rough with her, you made her cry!” he said and thumbed over his shoulder to her table.

Zoro shrugged. “I kept sayin no. They hung around askin for me to go home with’em for prolly an hour before you showed up. I was sick of it.” He rubbed the back of his head feeling the spot Sanji’s shoe kicked, then trailed his fingers over a few inches and felt his new scar from Chopper’s drilling. “Plus, I’m pretty sure that was a man.”

Sanji whipped his head to the table with the crying woman to see if he could make out whether she was male or not, but the lighting was too dim for him to see. “That’s...that’s still not an excuse, Marimo,” Sanji said, stiffening in his seat. “Ugh, and clean that off!” 

Zoro touched his face and pulled his hand away to look at the blood. He turned away and pinched one nostril and blew then switched to the other side, forcing the remaining blood out to splatter against the floor. He looked at Sanji when he was done and winked.

It took all of the cook’s willpower to hold back the bile that threatened to come up from his stomach. “I...I hate you,” he whispered.

“Nah, you don’t,” Zoro said with a shitty grin and downed the rest of his drink. He slapped his hand on the bartop to signal he wanted a refill. The bartender pulled a hose from the underside of the counter and filled the mug to the brim with a dark ale. Foam spilled over the sides and over Zoro’s knuckles. He took another long drink and loudly exhaled with satisfaction.

Even though Zoro was right about Sanji not hating him, it didn’t make what he did any less disgusting. “It’s still on your face, you fucking monkey. Wipe it off properly.”

“Why? S’not like I’m here to impress anyone.”

Sanji scoffed and reached into his pocket for a handkerchief. When he offered it to Zoro, the other waved it away. “Don’t be a child!” Sanji said with a clenched jaw and grabbed the back of Zoro’s head with one hand and harshly rubbed the cloth under his nose with the other. 

“Ugh, are you always going to do this now?!” Zoro asked, flailing his limbs around until Sanji pulled away.

After pocketing the handkerchief, Sanji quirked a curly eyebrow upward. “Do what?” he asked. He didn’t like the way Zoro smiled back at him. The need for a drink pulled at him so he flagged the bartender down and asked for a dry martini, straight, extra olives.

“Take care of me,” Zoro said smugly. “I know you helped Chopper.”

Sanji let a smile pull at the corner of his lips for a moment, relishing in the beautiful, domestic feeling he had when he was in charge of taking care of Zoro’s unconscious body. He was more than happy to be that person. “Oh, you do, huh?” he said softly. Zoro may not have heard him over the light banter around them. Zoro from seven weeks ago was different from the one that sat next to him. This one was the man who hadn’t realized he loved Sanji just yet. He may feel that way subconsciously, but he never had come to the life-changing realization because he didn’t experience taking care of Sanji’s child-form. 

A few times over the week, Sanji had talked to Robin and Luffy about it, saying he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t just go up to the brute and say, ‘Hey, you totally said you loved me and, by the way, we made out!’ because that would just make him mad and put distance between them, distance Sanji couldn’t handle. It was already torturing him to have _felt_ Zoro against him, have his fingers pressed into his mouth...all of that was gone from Zoro’s mind now.

“Wanna get out of here?” Zoro asked. When Sanji looked over, Zoro was staring at him, a steely grey eye soft with patience. _The booze must be kicking in._

“I just got my drink,” Sanji said as he twirled the little black straw around causing the olives to spin in a mini cyclone. “Also, where did you get the Berri? You owe Nami-san still.”

Zoro downed his beer and flicked his head upwards for Sanji to do the same. “Took pity on me. Threw me a sack of coins before I left.”

The drink was good but there was too much gin. The pine taste was slightly overpowering, especially if he was drinking it all in one go as Zoro wanted. He sighed and tipped the fragile glass back, swallowing the olives along with it. Setting the glass down gently, Sanji asked, “Where did you want to go?”

“Somewhere with food.”

“Sunny has food,” Sanji suggested. “I could make us something,” _as I had originally planned,_ he thought. Zoro nodded and left a pile of coins on the table for the drinks. They left in silence.

___

The walk back was quiet. Sanji wanted to bring up the books he read to Zoro but he wasn’t sure how the man would take to learning that bit of information. He also wondered if he spoke about the memories he had with Zoro from when he was a child if it would trigger anything. He was beginning to become desperate at this point. He had waited so long for him to wake up and when he finally did, he didn’t remember shit. Honestly, it was more depressing than when Zoro was in a coma.

“What’s got your panties in a bunch?” Zoro asked, elbowing him in the ribs as the Sunny came into view.

Rubbing his side, Sanji tried lifting his head up but it was just too damn heavy. It took too much work. He knew he had to break from this pointless depressive episode before he started making them dinner because this was no way to spend valuable time with the man he loved. Soon, they would be surrounded by their other _nakama_ and he wouldn’t get another moment like this for a while. Sanji pushed his bad feelings away and forced himself to cheer up. “Just wondering how someone as ugly as you could get a girl - er, guy? - to hit on him is all.”

Zoro barked a laugh into the night sky. The two walked the gangplank and as their feet touched the soft grass on Sunny, Zoro turned to face Sanji to strike a stupid pose. “With a body like this? How could they resist?” he said, still laughing. He flexed his muscles one last time, stretching the threads that held his shirt together. “Even men can’t resist me.”

Sanji’s smile faded. _He has no idea how true that is,_ he thought, watching Zoro walk in front of him as they headed into the galley. The mossball didn't immediately plop down at the bar, instead waited in the kitchen.

“Move out of the way, you over-sized lawn gnome.”

“I wanna help,” Zoro said to him.

“You’ll only slow me down,” Sanji said skeptically. That was weird for Zoro to suggest. “Just go sit down, I’ll make something quick.”

That was all he had to say because Zoro abided by his word and waited at the table in his usual spot. In no time, Sanji had two steaming plates of pasta with a generous helping of sea-king meat mixed in ready to be eaten. Sanji sat and waited for Zoro to take his first bite.

He watched the man close his eye in ecstasy, slowly chewing to savor the flavor. A small hum of approval escaped before swallowing.

“Well?” Sanji asked in excitement. “You like it?” Zoro nodded. “The creamy mushroom sauce normally is never paired with the Giant Oarfish, but, if you add in extra gouda instead of tomatoes like everyone _first_ tries to mask the powerful fishy taste, then you’ve already come out on top.”

“You’re doing it again.”

Sanji sighed. He missed the old Zoro. Well...the _new_ Zoro? He missed the Zoro who grew patient to listen to his ramblings regarding food. “Talking too much? Sorry, thought a neanderthal could understand -”

“The All Blue face,” Zoro said, his head slightly cocked to the side. “You’re happy.” Sanji pushed a noodle around on his plate with his fork before stabbing it. As he chewed, he silently nodded his head. Zoro watched him for a few moments before returning to his meal.

Once the two were finished, Zoro turned on the faucet to begin filling the sink. Sanji reached over to turn it back off. “I’ll do them in the morning.”

“I’ll help,” Zoro prompted. “It’ll go faster.”

“Nah, I’d rather…” Sanji trailed off. _I’d rather spend time with you instead._ “I’d rather smoke the rest of this pack of cigarettes.”

If Zoro picked up on Sanji’s weird reasoning, he didn’t show it. Instead, he beckoned for the blonde to follow him by waving his hand over his shoulder as he walked towards the aquarium room. “I’ve been meaning to ask you a few things,” Sanji heard him say. He wasn’t sure if he should be nervous or not. If he starts to ask questions about those missing memories, he might not feel the sentimental value they created for him and they would mean nothing, rendering this relationship they were _technically_ in null. Sanji swallowed back the lump in his throat and closed the door behind him. 

Zoro was staring through the glass at the various creatures swimming about. He looked beautiful there with the turquoise water reflecting off his bronze skin. Very beautiful indeed. Sanji walked up to stand next to him and sucked on his cigarette. “So,” he started, blowing the smoke out above them. “What did you want to ask?”

Without turning, Zoro said, “What’s got your panties in a bunch.”

“What? I said-”

“Don’t lie to me,” Zoro interrupted. “Don’t think I can’t tell when yer lyin to me, Sanji.”

 _Sanji? Did he just…?_ The blonde moved his eyes to look in his peripheral at Zoro who was still watching the fish swim about. Sanji swallowed. “Uh...right,” he said quietly. “It’s not important, really. No need to worry.”

“Not important, huh?” Zoro asked. “You’ve been acting weird towards me since I woke from that coma. Something happened, didn’t it? Before I was knocked out? Something between us?”

 _Fuck, he’s getting irritated. What do I do? Tell him I know what he tastes like because his tongue was down my throat? God, it’s not that easy, Marimo, to just tell you what went on and lead to this point._ “Not really, not anything out of the norm,” Sanji said. He pocketed his spent cigarette and sighed.

“What did I _just_ tell you, dammit?!” Zoro snapped, rounding on the blonde and pushing his shoulder. Sanji faltered backward but was quick to regain his balance, raising a knee to ready himself. “I know yer lyin to me! I know something happened between us so just tell me what it was!” Zoro was slowly inching towards him but Sanji noticed he wasn’t drawing his swords just yet.

Sanji turned his head away, unable to look Zoro in the eye. “I said it wasn’t important. It’s nothing. You wouldn’t understand, anyway.”

Zoro was in his face now, his expression as stoic as ever. His mouth was set in a flat line and Sanji could swear he heard him growling. “What makes you think I wouldn’t understand?” he asked. When Sanji didn’t answer right away, Zoro took a deep breath to calm himself. “You’re afraid, aren’t you?”

The question wasn’t to taunt the cook. Sanji was a little shocked to hear such genuine patience and care behind those words. “Yeah,” he heard himself say. “I don’t want to mess anything up.”

“And what would you mess up?”

Sanji wanted to meet Zoro’s penetrating gaze but couldn’t. He knew he’d break if he did, already able to feel the tears prickling the edges of his eyes, threatening to break free and run down his cheeks. Zoro sighed with what seemed like disappointment and walked over to the couch. He unwrapped his swords from his sash and laid them over the cushion and flopped onto next to them. Sanji followed.

With a shaking hand, Sanji lit up another cigarette. The cushion between them seemed as wide as a mile, too much for Sanji’s liking. He wanted to be closer. Zoro had his arms spread out over the back and his legs spread wide. His green head of hair leaned against the backing, his one good eye closed. 

“S’pose I don’t blame you,” Zoro said, breaking the silence. “I don’t think I could do it either. Think yer handling it better than I could’ve.”

Sanji glanced at him, wondering what the hell he was talking about. Taking another drag, he felt Zoro’s hand tug on a strand of his hair at the back of his neck. Those tanned fingers made their way to the underside of Sanji’s golden locks and grabbed a fistful. Sanji gasped from the sudden pull and had no time to speak before Zoro lurched forward to push their faces together for a harsh kiss.

When he let up, Sanji immediately started yelling. “HOW LONG?!” he asked with a scowl. Zoro laughed, loosening his hold on the other’s hair. “You fucking asshole, how long have you had your memories back?!”

Zoro scooted closer to the chef to play with the collar of his suit jacket. He traced the edges all the way up to Sanji’s neck, which he buried his face into to begin sucking on the pale skin. Sanji’s fists grabbed Zoro’s shirt, balling the fabric up in his fists. _“Hours,”_ he admitted through a heavy breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ope - welcome back, Zoro!  
> Why is he breathing so heavily, though 🤔 hmmm...


	13. Oh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story is less PG-13. Light sexual play.
> 
> ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo!

Zoro’s breath was hot against Sanji’s skin. His tongue ran up his neck and he bit just under the ear. Sanji shivered. It would have been easy, so very easy, to melt in Zoro’s mouth but his anger with the swordsman was taking priority. _“Hours?!”_ He spat, pushing the brute off of him. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Chuckling, Zoro watched Sanji huff and puff with annoyance. Sanji was glaring at him with a scowl, despite his flushed face. “You act like you’d do any different if you were in my place,” Zoro said, leaning back on the couch with his hands behind his head. He held Sanji’s gaze for a beat before letting his eye fall closed.

Sanji knew Zoro was right so he didn’t argue it much further. It was only a few hours, not like it was _days_ he held out on him. “A couple of hours ago we were in the bar. What jogged your memory?”

Zoro peeked an eye open with a raised eyebrow. “Seriously? It ain’t obvious? Maybe when you took the liberty of showing the back of my head how strong your kicks can be? Yer lucky I got my memories back from that cause I would have sliced you in three for treatin me so shittily, bastard.”

 _“Bastard?!_ You pushed a lady!”

“I told you, I’m sure it was a man!” Zoro argued.

“A man who wants to be treated like a lady!” Sanji said, his chest puffing up again as the anger rose. “You didn’t have to push them that hard! You deserved that kick! In fact, I wish I did it _harder_ now, you impossible _weed!”_

Zoro sat up, slapping his hands over his knees and gripped them tight. “Say that again, Dart-Brow, and I’ll drop you.”

Skipping straight to the fight, Sanji grabbed the back of the couch for support as he swung his leg up to bash Zoro’s face. The swordsman caught his ankle and stood, dragging Sanji’s butt off the cushion, the blonde quickly catching himself with his hands before hitting the floor. 

With his free leg, Sanji hooked his foot behind Zoro’s knee causing him to buckle under the weight. Zoro wobbled forward but Sanji kicked his chest sending him flying to land flat on his back. The blonde was on him faster than he could get back up, but Zoro was quicker to flip their positions. Sanji’s wrists were pinned above his head while he had his legs wrapped around Zoro’s ribs.

Zoro winced against the pain, eye shut tight. He was in no position to hurt Sanji as he only had his wrists - which did nothing seeing as how the man didn’t even need to use them! He was fucked. He knew he lost, especially since he could feel Sanji holding back. If the cook wanted, he could break his rib cage and Zoro _knew it._ “Alright, you win,” he wheezed. Sanji didn’t loosen his hold. Zoro opened his eye to look down at him. He was smiling. “I said you win, lemme go!”

“No,” Sanji said with a wry smile and locked his ankles together over Zoro’s back. He increased the pressure and Zoro groaned.

“Yer gonna crack my bones!” Zoro managed to say. He was trying to read what the hell Sanji was playing at but all the cook was doing was giving him an evil smile. 

“Beg me.”

“What?!” Zoro spat.

“Beg me to let you go and I will,” Sanji said. When Zoro growled in protest, Sanji squeezed harder. 

“You...shit-head…” Zoro wheezed and ground his teeth together. He tried getting to his feet, but Sanji then jerked their bodies hard enough that Zoro’s knees slipped out from under him, no longer able to hold himself up. “I won’t.”

“Beg me, Zoro.”

Zoro felt like he was going to be severed in two if the cook didn't let up any time soon. The pain was becoming unbearable. This was a game he was losing against his rival but he didn’t know how much longer he could stand the pressure, especially knowing Sanji was hardly trying. Looking down at the blonde, Zoro glanced at his hands and tightened his hold on them. “If you don’t let me go, I’ll crush your wrists.”

For a split second, Sanji faltered. Panic flickered across his face but not a moment later it was gone, replaced with too much confidence. “But you won’t,” he said with arrogance and Zoro sighed because he was right. No matter how much he didn’t like losing against this fucker below him, Zoro would never purposely damage something so precious to his _nakama_. He really did lose this round, he had nothing to retaliate with. The vise-like grip Sanji had on him was impossible to get out of. “Beg me,” Sanji repeated.

That deep, velvety voice had Zoro trembling suddenly. Hearing it was hitting him differently, especially the way he was being _commanded._ Zoro could feel his body heat up each time Sanji told him to beg. The rush of kissing Sanji earlier flooded back into him and all he could think about was the slight part of Sanji’s pale, pink lips.

Sanji must have noticed where he was looking because he slowly grazed his tongue over his top lip leaving a shiny trail of saliva behind. “Like what you see, Ma-ri-mo- _kun?”_

Zoro wasted no time in bending forward to press his mouth against Sanji’s. The death-grip around his torso loosened allowing the swordsman to move freely. Sanji tasted like his cigarettes and Zoro couldn’t get enough. His mouth opened over Sanji’s to slide his tongue in, licking the inside of the blonde’s mouth. With each breath through his nose to not let up from Sanji’s lips, Zoro could smell the minty shampoo the blonde used. It seemed like the combination of taste and smell was quickly becoming overwhelming because Zoro hadn’t realized he was rutting his body against Sanji’s until the chef moaned each time Zoro thrust forward. In a jolt, Zoro pulled away with shock.

With a gasp from the sudden loss, Sanji breathlessly asked, “What? What is it?”

Zoro began to sit back on his haunches now that the cook’s ankles weren’t locked around him. When he looked Sanji over, he could see the man’s erection through his suit pants. As fun as it was to mess with Sanji and get him to turn to putty in his hands, it was also an extremely new experience for him. Never in a million years did he think he’d see this side of his rival, and to be honest, he wasn’t sure how to proceed forward. “Nothing. I just think…” Zoro could feel his own pants had grown too tight as well. _Shit, what_ **do** _I think?_ Zoro sighed and stood to walk over to the couch, flopping backward onto it. Sanji joined him. 

The familiar sound of a metal lighter opening and the _flick_ before a flame produced filled the room. Then, Zoro was breathing in Sanji’s smoke, and the whole feeling like he was under a damn spell sort of happened all over again. His head lolled to the side to face the blonde. He watched him bring the stick to his lips and take a long drag then exhale the smoke into the air above them.

“What were you thinking, y’know, while I didn’t remember the things between us?” Zoro asked quietly. Sanji’s neutral expression turned into a frown as he looked down into his lap. The hand holding the cigarette laid across the backrest opposite Zoro while his freehand covered his face.

“It was easier when you were in a coma. It was easier knowing you’d wake up and everything would be fine, pick up where we left off. But, since I’m _me_ and not much good happens to me, you woke up and I _just knew._ I knew what we had was gone. When I confirmed it with Chopper, I didn’t think it could hurt any worse, yet it did.”

Zoro was quiet as he let that information sink in. Sanji’s hand fell to his lap while the other stuck the butt of the cigarette back between his teeth. Sanji’s face had evened out into his neutral expression again, but Zoro knew there was more to it. “You handled it well. I didn’t feel as if you were upset, only felt you knew something I didn’t.”

“Yeah,” Sanji laughed, smoke billowing out as he did. “Yeah, I know. I’m a good actor, you see,” he said and turned to Zoro to show him a cheesy smile. “On the inside, I was sure you wouldn’t ever realize you loved me. The way you had come to learn it was just...too unique.” Sanji’s voice lowered and his smile faded. Zoro watched the other man relive that week of pain. “The universe was no longer aligned for us and I felt as if I had missed my chance.”

Images of a tiny Sanji giggling as he was being tickled flashed across Zoro’s mind. He smiled at the thought. What Sanji said was true; their story was indeed a unique one. How long would it have taken, if ever, if his best friend had never been turned into a helpless child for them to come together like this?

The swordsman realized as he looked at Sanji right now that he hated seeing him upset now as much as he did when he was a little kid. The small blonde crying because he was being punished by him and Robin, threatened to sleep without Zoro unless he was a good boy, made him feel bad. It was necessary to discipline the kid but it hurt Zoro to see him so utterly sad. A child who probably never knew love hurting because he was vulnerable to rejection. Thinking back on it, maybe even something Zoro considered a small punishment was still too cruel for him. He wondered if Sanji ever got over that feeling or if there were times he still felt alone. When Sanji turned his head to face him, his eyes were glassy as if he were holding back tears.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Zoro whined, chest hurting with an annoying ache to comfort the chef. He was feeling particularly soft right now after thinking of a tiny version of the blonde. After Sanji squeezed the spent cigarette between his fingers and pocketed the butt, he bent forward, elbows on his knees and palms harshly rubbing his eyes.

As soon as Zoro heard Sanji’s breath hitch, he shot up to wrap his arms around him. Zoro’s chest felt like it was on fire and the only thing he thought to get Sanji to calm down was to rub his back because he knew it worked. Lifting Sanji into his lap so he was sitting sideways against him, he tucked one arm under him to support his back and the other pushed his head down against his chest. “It’s alright, now. Everything’s back. I’m back.” Sanji’s silent sobs slowed as he nodded against him. He didn’t cry for long, it seemed to Zoro that Sanji had been holding everything back, bottling it all in until it was too damn much and his walls were finally crumbling. Zoro continued to rub his back until he got it all out, understanding the stress he was put through.

A sniffle or two later, Sanji lifted his head to look into Zoro’s one good eye. “Would you have believed me if I had said you confessed to me?”

Zoro chuckled, shaking his head. “Ain't no way I’d have believed it, not for a second. Prolly woulda cut ya up just for telling me such a stupid thing.”

“Yeah, I figured. It’s why I didn’t say anything,” Sanji sighed and flopped his head against Zoro’s chest, relishing in the feeling of being held. Zoro was warm and it was easy to find comfort in his arms. The two stayed like that for a while, silent in the vast room until Sanji perked his head up again and asked, “Can we please tell the crew the moment they come back before some other crazy shit happens?” Sanji asked and cupped Zoro’s face. He traced his fingers along his strong jawline before leaning in to kiss the man he loved.

When Zoro tightened his arms around him and deepened the kiss, Sanji took that as a ‘yes’ and then, without breaking away, resituated himself so he was now straddling Zoro’s lap. He could hear Zoro suck in a breath between their mouths from the new position. Together, they gave slow and passionate kisses, their lips grazing against each other. Tongues slid across lips, breath was shared, saliva mixed.

At the back of his head, Sanji felt Zoro’s hand harshly rake through his hair and tug a fistful enough to pull Sanji’s head back, baring his neck for Zoro to devour. Teeth bit into soft flesh while his tongue licked up the length of his neck to behind his ear. Sanji shivered when lips clamped around his earlobe and gave a wet _suck._

Zoro was slowly losing himself, he could feel his mind clouding over by the mere smell of Sanji’s minty shampoo. The way the man whispered his name in his deep smoker’s voice had him almost gasping for air as if he had forgotten how to breathe without Sanji’s existence. Again, in a jolt, Zoro pulled away.

“What is it now, you damn moss-for-brains?” Sanji asked impatiently, studying the man before him. 

Panting, Zoro scrunched his brows together and said, “You - you fucking conditioned me, prick!”

“Hah?!”

Zoro couldn’t believe he was still being affected by whatever witchy-shit the cook put him under. “You got me all messed up cause of what you did while I was in the infirmary,” Zoro elaborated. His hands fell to Sanji’s hips and squeezed, half with irritation, half with lust. “I feel like I’m...like I’m drunk, right now,” he mumbled and when he looked back up to Sanji, he was slightly blurry. He blinked a few times to regain his vision.

Sanji quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head. “What do you mean?” he asked. His hands roamed over Zoro’s front, feeling the soft cotton of the too-tight t-shirt. As Zoro tried to make words come out of his mouth, Sanji slid his hands under the shirt to feel those hard muscles and scraped his short nails down his chest.

Zoro groaned from the touch and hearing Sanji’s low voice wasn’t helping his vision. His heart was thumping against the underside of his ribcage. The chef leaned in to whisper in his ear and he felt as if the wave of mint and smoke alone could have knocked him unconscious.

Before he knew it, Sanji was playing with the button at the top of his pants. “Wh-what are you doing, shit-head?” Zoro said groggily, trying to shake the spell from his mind. His hands tightened over Sanji’s hips and the blonde answered by grinding against him. It was taking everything Zoro had to stay aware of his surroundings. “You’re making it worse.”

“Making what worse, Marimo?” Sanji cooed into his ear. The button was unfastened and pale fingers pulled the zipper down until it couldn’t go any further.

The swordsman was sure he could figure out what Sanji was aiming to do but he barely had the strength to stop it. Shit, he wasn’t even sure if he _wanted_ to stop it. Through fuzzy vision, he looked at Sanji in his dark blue suit staring down at him with heavy-lidded eyes. The way his fingers touched every inch of his skin and how they were now tugging at the hem of his boxer briefs…

Zoro took the hint and joined in, not wanting to be out-done by his rival, harshly yanking Sanji’s belt off and practically tearing his pants open. Sanji rubbed his hand over Zoro’s achingly hard cock, paying extra attention to the little wet spot in the fabric that had formed. The room was silent except for the moving water of the tank and their heavy breathing.

“Take this off,” Zoro growled, pointing to the man’s suit. Sanji wasted no time in standing to kick his shoes off and jump out of his pants and jacket. Zoro quickly slid out of his clothes and lazily sat back with spread legs as he waited.

Sanji stood there, dick standing at full attention and naked, eyes glued to Zoro’s crotch.

“What?” Zoro asked, wondering why the blonde was hesitating.

“I’ve...never seen you like this before,” Sanji breathed. His chest heaved up and down as he took in all Zoro had to offer.

“Uh, naked? You’ve seen me plen-”

“No,” Sanji said, eyes still unmoving. _“Hard.”_

Zoro looked down at himself and chuckled. “Yeah?” he hummed and Sanji nodded as he stared. Zoro cocked his head to the side and grabbed ahold of himself, lazily stroking up and down. “You like it?” Another nod as Sanji watched Zoro’s movement. “Bet mine’s bigger.”

 _That_ woke Sanji up from his trance. “Excuse me? I fucking doubt that.”

“Prolly way bigger,” Zoro teased, and before he knew it a foot slammed into his shoulder, pinning him to the back of the couch. His one good eye traced up Sanji’s leg and stared at the erection in his face. He hooked his hand behind Sanji’s knee and pulled the man back into his lap.

“Mine’s more symmetrical,” Sanji huffed and harshly thunked his forehead against Zoro’s in anger.

“Mine’s better looking.”

“Yours is just as ugly as you are.”

“Surprised yours ain't curly like the rest of you.”

“What’d you fuckin say- _mmn!”_ The rest of Sanji’s sentence was cut off by Zoro’s mouth.

The two of them aggressively kissed, pushing and pulling each other, fighting for dominance to prove who was stronger. Again, when Sanji started to moan into the kissing, Zoro’s thoughts shocked him back to reality. He could hardly believe Sanji - the chef, the idiot cook, the ladies man, his other half - was _naked_ on top of him. This time he didn’t pull away in shock. This time he accepted the new adventure they would have together.

Being pretty inexperienced at this type of stuff, Zoro felt at a loss of how he’d proceed. But, Sanji was also a guy so that meant it was a good guess he liked what Zoro liked. Between their kissing, grunts, and growls, Zoro gripped Sanji’s dick as tightly as he would Kitetsu, causing the blonde to gasp while sitting up to look between them.

As quickly as the touch came, it was gone. Zoro let go and leaned back, arms folded behind his head. He wore a shit-eating grin as Sanji looked as if he had just been kicked by his own foot. 

“What - what did you let go for?” Sanji asked. Zoro shrugged back at him. Sanji looked down. “Did you want me to…?”

Zoro shrugged again. “Figured you’d be better with your hands, right?” He said with arrogance, the grin still as wide as ever. “Just like I’m prolly better with my mouth.”

“Oh,” was all Sanji managed to say as the rest of the images short-circuited his brain. For a few moments, he sat there, eyes glazed over, thinking of all the things Zoro could do with that mouth before he snapped out of it. “Right,” he said and positioned himself better to grab ahold of both of their throbbing erections.

The feeling of Sanji’s hand pressing their dicks together was a sensation Zoro had never imagined - literally. This was all completely new to him. Since joining Luffy in the beginning, Zoro already had his mind set on one goal, and sex or relationships weren’t involved. It had never occurred to him that he could do this type of stuff _and_ be The Greatest Swordsman. But now that it was happening, he couldn’t imagine anything else. Right now, all that existed were the two of them. He was more than ready to take this road with Sanji.

 _“Move,”_ Zoro hissed, encouraging Sanji to start jerking them off.

“Right,” Sanji parroted. He shook his head again and began moving his hand up and down. He watched Zoro’s mouth fall open and his head leaned back. Seeing the swordsman come undone gave him a boost of confidence. “Like this?” he asked.

“Y-yeah,” Zoro answered breathily. He thrust his hips causing Sanji to rise with him. The longer Sanji pumped them, the more he wanted to touch. He uncrossed his arms from behind his head and felt up Sanji’s thick thighs. The muscles flexed under his grip. His fingers curled, sinking into milky skin before he slid them up Sanji’s lithe body. Even if his frame was smaller, the man’s muscles were just as hard as his and that _turned him on._ “Feels good.”

Hearing that, Sanji preened. By now, pre-cum had lazily leaked from both of them making Sanji’s hand slide easier. “Zoro, I’m not gonna last,” he admitted with a throaty gasp. 

“Figures, you loser,” Zoro said, but Sanji knew he wasn’t any better off with how heavily he was breathing and moving his hips against him.

Sanji could feel his orgasm approaching too fast, everything tightening and pulsing and, “I’m gonna- _ahh,”_ Sanji sighed as he spilled over his hand. His pace was slowing until Zoro’s hand cupped over his to keep him going. Sanji whined when Zoro wouldn’t let him slow down to ride his orgasm out, his sensitive skin being over-stimulated had him making noises he never thought he’d make.

Zoro’s eye rolled just before it closed completely. Sanji loved the way his eyebrows turned upwards, softening his face as he came. He couldn’t peel his gaze away from Zoro’s face, even while he felt another wave of hot liquid ooze over their hands. Zoro was perfect in every way. 

Once he was sure Zoro finished, he leaned in for a kiss but it was cut short. As quick as lightning, Zoro lifted him and slammed him against the seat cushions so hard he was sure he would have had the wind knocked out of him if it were against the wood. He had no time to ask what the hell the idiot-swordsman was doing before Zoro’s mouth swallowed his spent cock. _“Ah, Zoro,”_ he whispered, lightly thrusting upward. Zoro’s tongue licked up every last bit of cum and when Sanji was licked clean, Zoro forcibly grabbed the hand that jerked them off and sucked on each finger until there was no evidence left.

It all happened so fast that Sanji hardly had any time at all to process what Zoro was doing, and now that he was done and licking his own tanned fingers, he felt so embarrassed! “Wh-what the hell was that for?!” he screeched, trying to move out from under the other. The way Zoro looked down at him made him feel small like a predator had cornered its prey.

“I told you,” Zoro said, thumbing the corner of his mouth. “You conditioned me and I don’t think I can get enough.”

___

After the two had rinsed off in the tub to rid the smell of sex and sweat off, Sanji thought it would be a great idea to make a treat for when the crew came back. He had explained to Zoro most of them usually headed to bed as soon as they got back from the city but if they smelled a fresh batch of cupcakes, they would most certainly spare a minute or two for him and Zoro to make their announcement. 

They were still alone on the Sunny, enjoying each other’s company in their comfy clothes. Zoro stayed shirtless, what a surprise, and rocked a pair of black sweatpants rolled up around his calves. Sanji was a little more modest with some blue jersey shorts and one of Zoro’s old, ratty t-shirts that probably fit him better than it did Zoro.

The ninth batch of banana bread cupcakes was in the oven and Zoro had Sanji backed against the counter, finger covered in peanut butter frosting and pressed into his mouth. Zoro’s nose lightly grazed against Sanji’s cheek as he watched lips close around his finger, feeling the tongue slowly lick the frosting off.

As Zoro moved to taste Sanji’s neck, kissing, biting, and nuzzling, Sanji thought that he wasn’t the only one on the Sunny who had an oral fixation. The two of them made for interesting times and Sanji shivered as his thoughts mixed with the feeling of Zoro devouring him.

The boat rocked as Luffy fell aboard with a harsh landing, laughter echoing through the night’s air. Brook groaned as he unwrapped himself from a rubber arm and stood up. He was a good baby-sitter tonight because he came _back_ with Luffy instead of the bouncy-idiot running off on his own.

Zoro let up on Sanji and the two walked out of the kitchen to greet their captain and everyone else as they took the gangplank like normal humans.

“Oh, you found Zoro!” Usopp said to Sanji.

Zoro opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Luffy flinging his arms across the ship and snapping his body to wrap around Zoro’s face in a hug. “Zoro0o0o0o0o0!!!” Luffy sing-songed. There was mumbling under his tight grip while Zoro desperately tried pulling out from under his captain before he suffocated.

“GAH!” Zoro wheezed when he could finally get proper air. “Ya damn shit-head!”

“What’s got you so affectionate, Luf?” Nami asked while slipping off her heels. Luffy climbed down from Zoro’s shoulders.

“Zoro got his memory back!”

Both Sanji and Zoro gawked, saying, “How do you know?!” at the same time. Luffy fell back onto his butt and clutched his stomach with laughter. Sanji looked at Zoro as if to ask _what the hell is with this kid,_ but Zoro looked just as confused.

“Seriously, how could you tell?” Sanji asked and gave a soft kick to Luffy’s side.

 _“Shishishishi,_ it’s so obvious!” the captain laughed. He stood and with one hand firmly planted on his hip while the other pointed directly at Sanji’s nose, he said, “Cause of your face. It’s happy!”

Blush surfaced Sanji’s skin turning him bright red. He looked to Zoro who was nodding and then to the rest of the crew who were trying to figure out what was so funny.

“We have something to say,” Zoro grunted, elbowing Sanji in the ribs to break him from his embarrassment. 

“Do I smell treats?!” Luffy yelled, tongue lolling to the side before zooming into the kitchen.

___

The crew gathered at the kitchen table. Platters of perfectly frosted cupcakes littered the table for everyone to enjoy. A sleepy Chopper sat in Robin’s lap and as she peeled the paper lining off the bottom of the cupcake for him, he looked to Zoro next to him and asked, “What was it you wanted to tell us?”

Zoro could feel Robin’s heavy stare on him when he answered the little reindeer. “Something we were supposed to tell you a while ago. Before that last pirate ship.”

“Before you were hit in the head?” Chopper asked, his eyes widening at the realization of how long they’d been waiting. Zoro nodded and Chopper stared, mouth hanging open as his little hooves held the cupcake Robin offered.

Coming up behind the green-haired Straw Hat, Sanji looked around to the rest of the crew. Suddenly, he was feeling nervous. Even though Nami had only been ‘testing’ him about his sexuality or decision to choose Zoro, it still put the idea in his head that there was still a chance to be rejected by the other crew members.

Currently, only Luffy, Nami, and Robin knew of their feelings. _What if Brook wasn’t raised that way? He’s the oldest here and it could be a generational thing...Usopp seems like a traditional kind of guy, what if the idea of two men is unheard of in Syrup Village?_ Sanji swallowed back the lump in his throat as he looked to Franky. _He might be okay. He’s...eccentric enough. And Chopper doesn’t understand human interactions as much in the first place so maybe…?_

“Well? What is it?” Usopp said around a mouthful of cupcake. He had frosting plastered around his lips. Sanji could tell he was only eating to keep himself awake because he sat hunched over with heavy lids. 

Brook hummed a tune and tapped his boney fingers against the table. “Is it bad news?” he asked, sorrow in his voice.

“No!” Sanji was quick to say, waving his hands. It’d be easier to get it over with and just say it! Blue eyes flickered to Nami across the table. She winked. With a sigh, Sanji let his shoulders relax. “It’s about me and Zoro.”

Franky groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t break something, bro. It’s been months since I’ve had to do any serious repairs and it’s been _kinda nice, you know.”_ Usopp, Robin, and Luffy laughed.

“Heh, no, not at all. It’s that...we’ve come...to like each other.”

Usopp perked up in his seat and tilted his head. “You guys are friends now?”

“SUPERRRRR friendship!” Franky shouted and threw his enormous arms into the air, bonking Brook on his head and causing the table to jump up an inch or two.

“No,” Zoro said flatly, breaking the chatter from the far half of the table. He got up from his seat to stand next to Sanji.

“I’m confused, so you're not friends?” Usopp asked with another cupcake in his mouth. 

“No. I mean - _yes!”_ Zoro growled in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. “He means we’re together.” He then wrapped an arm around Sanji’s waist and pulled him closer to emphasize the difference between friends and lovers.

After a beat of silence, a burst of laughter broke out from Franky, Brook, and Usopp. Chopper had fallen fast asleep in Robin’s arms. Nami held her cheek in the palm of her hand as she stared at the clueless half of the crew with a small smile on her face. Luffy’s belly was bloating bigger and bigger and didn’t seem to be paying attention so long as there was a continuous flow of food in his face. Robin ran her fingers through Chopper’s fur, quietly waiting for her nakama to get their announcement right. 

“What a good one!” Usopp bleated, cupcake spraying everywhere. He slapped the table with his hand and banged on his chest to breathe better. Brook was clutching (what was supposed to be) his stomach, tears welling up at the edges of his empty eye sockets. 

Franky had laughed just as hard as the other two, but soon he came down long enough from his high to ask, “How long you been workin on _that_ one?!”

“Look! He’s still holding him!” Usopp said, pointing to Zoro’s hand around Sanji. Another wave of laughter drowned out anything Sanji was about to say.

The blonde looked over to his captain for help but he had followed Chopper into falling asleep right at the table. His belly was fat enough that he used it as a pillow. A gross snot-bubble hung from a nostril. At his waist, Zoro’s hand tightened and he could hear a deep rumble in the swordsman’s chest.

“It’s not a joke,” Zoro said through gritted teeth but the laughing trio didn’t hear him.

Usopp and Brook leaned against each other, mimicking the couple in the room with googly-eyes and kissy-lips. “Mwa, mwa! Suddenly we don’t hate each other and are madly in love! Mmmmwa!” Usopp mocked with another kiss. “I love you, Grass-Head!”

“I love you, Curly-san!” Brook said in a deep voice to replicate Zoro’s.

Franky started to find the situation less and less funny as he realized Nami wasn’t joining in on the poking fun. Nami _loved_ teasing those two yet she hadn’t even let out a single giggle. She was busy inspecting under her nails. Franky turned to Zoro and Sanji. “You’re not joking, are you, bros?”

“No,” The two said in unison. At that, Usopp and Brook ceased their antics.

“That’s n-not r-right,” Usopp stuttered.

“That is indeed strange to hear…” Brook said quietly. He placed a hand under his chin in thought.

 _Here it comes,_ Sanji winced to himself. Zoro didn’t seem to be freaking out next to him but Sanji was _sweating._ Usopp was still stammering over something, shaking his head in defiance of what he just heard. Brook was silent. Franky was silent.

_Any moment now, the ridicule will begin. I wonder if they will refuse to board with us knowing where our interests lie._

“Congrats, bros!” Franky said with a smile and reached around Robin to pat Sanji harshly on his back, as he was closest. Sanji’s body lurched forward from the force but Zoro stopped him from falling on Robin.

Even though Franky had just given his approval, Sanji was still nervous because Usopp said ‘not right’ and Brook said ‘strange.’ He could feel his knees weakening. Growing up, all he ever wanted to be was accepted. Even his own family, the people who were supposed to be there for you no matter what, rejected everything about him. He didn’t do anything to cause such treatment except _live._ Because he was _living,_ he was a burden, defective, hated, tortured, and even _imprisoned_ for just being _him._

And then he was thrown into a different time and place, waking up in the arms of the very man who held him now. His savior. His hero. His big brother who he eventually fell for. The only man he’d ever wanted, the only man he’d ever thought of, the only man who always had his back. The man who loved him. Everything changed for Sanji’s life as a kid when he was cast away back into that dingy castle. From that day forward, he had a goal: to meet Zoro again.

_The time has come for me, I’m finally able to be with him, and I’m met with this. Rejection from my nakama. I just want to be accepted...I just want to be accepted._

“That’s not right! You hate each other!” Usopp said. “You can’t love each other if you hate each other!”

Zoro scoffed and rolled his eye. “Shaddap.”

Usopp nodded his head. “Well, alright. If you say so,” he said and reached for another cupcake. Sanji’s shoulders relaxed but there was still one more opinion he wanted.

Brook sat at the end of the table still rubbing his chin. Very quietly, he asked, “You are romantically involved, yes?” Sanji and Zoro nodded. “Which means you will be doing sexual things together?” Sanji froze with embarrassment and Zoro scrunched his face, ready to bark a remark. Nami sat up to frown at Brook’s observation. “Can I watch? Yohohohohoho!!!”

That was it, that was the last person. There was still technically Chopper but Sanji had a feeling the little teen would be just as accepting as everyone else. Zoro sighed and flopped on a stool behind them, arms spread over the counter. 

Knowing all was settled, Robin stood and left with Chopper, followed by a dozen hands popping out of the floor to pluck Luffy from his seat and drag him off to bed. Usopp and Franky continued to eat the few remaining cupcakes while Brook excused himself, muttering about watching Zoro and Sanji getting it on.

Nami yawned loudly with a cat-like stretch while standing from her seat. She planted her hands on her hips and said, “Wow, that was painful to watch! You should have seen you squirm, Sanji-kun!” she laughed and walked around the table to stand in front of them. She stomped on Zoro’s toes when he didn’t move his legs for her to get by. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed her hair over her shoulders and raised an eyebrow to stare at them. “You better not hurt Zoro,” she warned Sanji again.

“W-what? Nami-san, what makes you think I’d hurt him? An-and why aren’t you telling _him_ to not hurt _me?”_

The quirked eyebrow went even higher. _“Zoro_ isn’t the one fawning over a new woman every time he gets the chance!” She said and poked the blonde harshly in the chest. Sanji rubbed the sore spot and looked to his feet in shame. Guess he sorta does that, doesn’t he? “But I guess Zoro sucks in his own ways, too.”

“Excuse me?” Zoro asked, sitting up. “What you just say, Witch?”

Nami held her hand up to stop Sanji from defending her. “I said you _suck,_ Zoro. I am pretty sure you have the emotional range of a teaspoon so if Sanji does something nice for you - you better thank him!”

Zoro’s jaw fell slack but he understood Nami’s words. “Yeah, whatever.”

“Awwwww!” Nami suddenly squealed and yanked both Zoro and Sanji by their necks and pulled them in for a tight hug. The boy’s cheeks were mushed against her soft breasts. “My big brothers are so cyuuuuute together!”

Sanji’s nose began to dribble a small line of blood and his tongue lolled out. “Yeahhh, cuute,” he said in a daydream and made to grab at Nami’s chest with a greedy hand. Zoro bared his teeth and gripped Sanji’s wrist to stop him.

Sanji broke from his horny daze at the sight of Zoro’s angry face. It was then Nami let up on them and patted their shoulders. She bid them both goodnight and left. At some point in that short amount of time, Franky and Usopp had shuffled away, as well.

Zoro sat back against the bar with a lazy sigh. Sanji looked at him and asked, “What was that about?”

Closing his eye, Zoro’s mouth twitched before he spoke. “Didn’t she just get done sayin not to ogle over every damn dame you see? Pretty sure that means her, too, you fuckin pervy dick.”

Sanji’s eyes widened with surprise by the venom in Zoro’s voice. “Did that upset you?”

Zoro turned his face away so Sanji couldn’t see how annoyed he was. “No.”

“It did, didn’t it?”

“No.”

 _“Zoro,”_ Sanji warned and grabbed the man’s chin to force him to look at him. “You’re lying.” Zoro kept his eye looking at anything other than Sanji. “Iz da ma-we-mo upset cuz I won’t ogle at him like dat, too?” Sanji teased, shaking Zoro’s head gently in his hold.

“Quit that!” Zoro said and slapped Sanji’s hand away. He stood and started gathering the empty platters that held only leftover crumbs. “M’not jealous. You just need to respect Nams and Robin more.”

Zoro passed by Sanji into the kitchen to add the new dishes to the dirty ones from his and Sanji’s dinner earlier. He started to organize them onto one side so he could fill the sink with water. Sanji came up behind him and jingled his earrings. When Zoro didn’t react, Sanji sighed and rested his chin over Zoro’s shoulder, feeling his hot skin. “Not even a little jealous?” he pouted. The quiet sound of flowing water filled the silence. Sanji hesitantly brought his hands up to Zoro’s trimmed waist, and after no objection, he slid his arms around him the rest of the way to hold onto him as he’d always wanted to do. There was a soft chuckle from the green-haired man. 

Zoro didn’t answer right away. The two stayed like that while Zoro washed the dishes and set them in the drying rack. Only once he was done and dried his hands off did he turn around to face Sanji.

“Tell me how this...this _‘relationship’_ could work if I ever got jealous of you gawking at the first sight of tits? Hmm?” Sanji let go and backed away. “It wouldn’t work. At all. And plus, I kinda like seeing you like that,” Zoro said with a teasing undertone.

“Hah?” Sanji said, confused about what the other meant. “You like seeing me fawn over the ladies?” The blonde put his hands in the pockets of his sleep shorts and played with the lighter and pack of cigarettes. It was such a weird statement and it didn’t quite make any sense. Why would that be something Zoro liked to see?

“Two reasons,” Zoro said with a yawn. “One,” he started and lazily stretched his arms to the ceiling, giving Sanji a full view of his perfectly sculpted body that he worked very hard on every day to maintain. As he stretched high, fingers almost touching the ceiling, his stomach flattened causing the ratty sweatpants to sink even lower on his hips. Sanji’s eyes drank in the image before him. “You gawk at me, too. Just without all the frilly words and heart-eyes.”

Sanji snapped his jaw closed with embarrassment and could feel his cheeks heating up. He was caught red-handed, falling right into Zoro’s little trap. _The sexiest trap…_

“And two, it’s funny to watch cause nothing ever happens no matter how hard you try.”

“Hah?!” Sanji shrieked, offended to hear such a thing.

“Yup,” Zoro confirmed. “Just _screams_ virgin.” Zoro’s grin was evil. He meant it.

There wasn’t anything to bite back with. “N-no, you can’t know that!” Sanji argued. “It doesn’t matter if they reject me, that can’t mean only one thing!” Zoro was making a face of _‘uh-huh, sure,’_ and that made Sanji feel even more embarrassed. “That doesn’t mean I’ve been rejected by _every_ woman, you asshole! You haven’t been there every moment of my life!” 

Tan fingers ran through short, green hair. After a heart-wrenching, lop-sided smile from Zoro, he covered his face and laughed. Sanji gave him a swift kick in the ribs making him wince, still sore from their earlier scuffle. 

“So you’re saying you’re not a virgin?” Zoro asked skeptically after he managed to stop laughing, an eyebrow raised high.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying!”

Again, this made Zoro laugh. He shook his head as he walked away. Halfway through the doorway to step out into the cool night air, Sanji sent another kick his way, making Zoro stumble forward. “Oi, will you quit doin that?!”

“Why are you laughing?!” Sanji shrieked, face beet red.

“Cause I don’t believe you!”

Shocked, Sanji set his readied foot down and looked to his partner. “Wha- why not?!”

Realizing Sanji wouldn’t let this damn charade drop, Zoro crossed his arms and jut a hip out. “Alright, alright. Fine, so you fucked someone, huh? Man or woman?”

Without hesitating, Sanji blurted, “Woman!”

Zoro scoffed. “So your first time was with a dame…” Zoro said and closed the gap between the two. Sanji wanted to back up because Zoro was _too confident_ but there was no way he’d give in. “Bet she was real pretty. What was her name, then?” he asked with a devious smile.

Sighing in relief to the easiest question he could have been asked, Sanji waved him away and said, “It was in the heat of the moment, we didn’t exchange many words.”

“Exactly. Liar. Yer still a virgin.”

 _“What?!”_ Sanji yelled. The two of them whipped their heads towards the sleeping quarters to check if the argument woke anyone. After a few moments confirming everyone was still asleep, Sanji looked back to Zoro and poked him hard in the chest as he spoke. “I’m not a fucking virgin, dammit! I had sex with a woman!”

It was obvious Sanji had forgotten how much Zoro _knew_ him. Even if they had never come together like this, the argument would still stand. Sanji was forgetting one major factor to back up this supposed story: he was a gentleman. “Oh yeah?” Zoro asked and grabbed Sanji’s wrist to cease his poking. The blonde stiffened when Zoro rubbed his nose against the soft tissue of the underside of Sanji’s wrist, planting slow, soft kisses while keeping eye contact. Sanji let out a small gasp when Zoro pulled them together and started attaching his mouth to the milky-white skin of the other’s neck. 

Sanji shivered at the feeling of Zoro slowly and sensually making his way up to his neck, to his jaw, and then their lips connected for a deep kiss. It was hard _not_ to melt into Zoro’s touch. He let his shoulders sag and gently placed his hands over Zoro’s cheeks to return the embrace. The swordsman was being careful with him, gentle even.

Eventually, Zoro pulled away and Sanji loved how his lips were shiny with his saliva, but there was something else behind the man’s steely gaze that let the blonde know this discussion wasn’t over yet.

“The romantic in you would _never_ have gone that far without asking for her name first,” Zoro said quietly with a sickening grin that oozed _‘I won, I won!’_

“I - I…”

“So it was either with a man or you’re still a virgin. Which is it, _Sanji?”_ Zoro said.

 _Fuck,_ Sanji thought. He was cornered. The grass-for-brains used his head for once and now he knows. _Especially since I can’t even give a reply. He’s just staring at me with that shit-eating grin and I probably have a stupid surprised look on my face giving me away._ The blonde sighed and pushed Zoro away, breaking the intense eye contact. “Fine, I’m a virgin. Are you happy now that you’ve fucking emasculated me?” Sanji felt like dying right there on the spot, humiliated that he was twenty-one years old and still hadn’t had sex, despite what he tried to project.

Instead of making fun of him, Zoro’s aura became more severe. “That doesn’t make you any less of a man,” he said seriously. The swordsman knew Sanji would take this the wrong way. He was feeling more and more sleepy the longer they talked but he couldn’t leave the conversation like this, especially after Sanji said he felt _emasculated!_ “I don’t think any less of you. I only pried cause you asked if I was jealous, which I’m not. Not really.”

Sanji returned to look at Zoro with skepticism in his eyes. “‘Not really’?”

“Yeah,” Zoro said and grabbed Sanji by the waist. “It don’t bother me that you drool over girls. As long as you’re mine, I don’t care where you look. And I don’t care that you never done anything with anyone, neither. Means your first experience is gonna be with me.”

At the same time, both of their faces lit up with embarrassment, Zoro’s words a surprise to both of them. Zoro quickly let go of Sanji and started to cough, whether it was genuine or a cover-up didn’t matter because Sanji was inspecting the mainmast behind the swordsman, taking a particular interest in it suddenly.

Zoro cleared his throat and scratched at the back of his head awkwardly. “We should, uh, go to bed. Nami said we gotta leave early to avoid the storm.”

“Right.”

The two pirates snuck into the bunk room hoping they could avoid waking their crewmates. Zoro flung his sweats somewhere across the room and gently crawled into his wooden hammock to not stir his captain above. Sanji undressed between their bunks and before he could sit, Zoro grabbed his hand.

It was too dark to see anything, the moon hidden behind angry, grey clouds, but Sanji knew Zoro was looking his way. “Hm?” he asked, wondering what the marimo wanted. They’d only get a few hours to sleep at this point, Sanji even less because he needed to make everyone breakfast. A few tugs let him know Zoro wanted him to lean down. “What is it?” he whispered, blinking in the dark to get his eyes to focus.

“Sleep here,” Zoro said just as quietly. Sanji stiffened at the suggestion. “Please?” he asked and gave another tug on Sanji’s wrist.

The faint snores and gentle _whirring_ from Franky’s mechanical body filled the space as Sanji debated in his head. He wanted nothing more than to sleep with Zoro but still felt shy, especially after the suggestion... _the suggestion we’d go all the way together,_ Sanji thought, feeling the embarrassment from earlier all over again. But he’d be lying if this wasn’t something he’d always wanted since day one.

“Okay.”

[ ](https://twitter.com/chow_bii/status/1293881402593697792)

___

“WHERE THE HELL IS ZORO?!?!” Nami screamed over the roaring wind. It tore through her long hair and tangled over her face, obscuring her view. With practiced hands, she threw her hair back in a tight bun until they were on calmer waters. “He knew we had to leave early, dammit!”

“Ow!” Usopp squawked. “Why’d you hit _me_ when it’s _Zoro_ you’re mad at?!” The sniper rubbed his head where he could already feel a bump forming. He was only walking by as an innocent bystander!

Sanji looked out over the port and onto the shore where the city lay in the distance. It was hardly visible in this weather, masked by a grey overlay. If he squinted hard enough, he could see past the zillions of raindrops and under the clouds sat Amaryllis, still asleep in the early morning storm.

Lightning flashed overhead, followed by an ear-splitting _boom_ that rumbled deep in Sanji’s chest, shaking Sunny in the waters. Usopp and Chopper started to cry, begging for Nami to set sail without the swordsman because he clearly didn’t want to be with them anymore. Next to Sanji, Robin looked out towards the city as well.

The ship was ready to go the moment the idiot-marimo got back. Things have been tied down, the sails were up, and the cola was shaken, ready to explode. The waves only grew the longer they stayed in port.

 _Where is he?_ Sanji thought. _He didn’t say anything to me before leaving. Would he do that? Are we at that point where we tell each other where we’re going now?_ Breaking his inner worry, Robin placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her.

Dark hair whipping around her head and water pouring her face, Robin was smiling. Her eyes were scrunched shut and she wore a tight, close-mouthed smile. “He’s coming back. He just takes a while, remember?” she said loud enough over the rain so Sanji could hear her.

“Do you know where he went?” Sanji asked. The rain came down even harder now, pelting his face with greater intensity. It was beginning to hurt. He frowned. _Damn idiot! Get back here...You’re worrying me._

“Oh yes,” Robin said and gave Sanji a ruffle on the head. As she turned to leave, she said over her shoulder, barely audible over the storm, “I’m the one who sent him out.”

___

_Earlier that morning…._

A tuft of blonde hair tickled Zoro’s face as he breathed in. He wiggled his nose and scrunched his face to move it but no luck. After another inhale and the hair came with it, Zoro opened his eye to glare at Sanji’s head.

That was the plan, anyway. When Zoro looked down and saw how perfect Sanji looked curled against him, he lost all irritation. A tight feeling within his chest made his breath hitch, giving him the sudden urge to _touch._ So he did. Zoro lifted an arm out from under his head and raked his fingers through Sanji’s soft hair. A wave of that minty shampoo hit him hard and he instantly felt that drunken sensation overtake him. He relished in the feeling this time, though, rather than try and break himself out of the trance.

Zoro lightly ran the pads of his fingers over Sanji’s face. He traced a finger over his curly eyebrow and when he reached his fallen bangs, he brushed them aside to sit behind his ear. Part of Sanji’s face was mushed against Zoro’s chest making him look silly. Zoro smiled and tried not to laugh in case he woke the blonde.

Sanji’s hand lay close to his face as he fell asleep tracing over Zoro’s scar just as he used to do when he was a little kid. _Damn idiot always liked touching it,_ Zoro thought, reminiscing on the not-so-distant memory of Sanji as a child. The thought of the younger blonde made Zoro’s chest tighten again. He couldn’t believe it was possible to have lost those memories forever.

Chopper had told him there was a great chance he’d never recover the things he had lost. The mind is a mystery and Chopper didn’t want to leave Zoro hopeful in case the worst happened. What would he do if he never got to know a certain seven-year-old boy? A boy who he would have thrown his dream away for to give him the life he deserved.

Zoro looked up at the bottom of Luffy’s bunk, still dark around him as the rising sun did little to light the room behind thick rain clouds. That proposal that his captain denied him...his proposal to raise Sanji... _what if he didn’t deny me? What if instead of this Sanji laying on me right now...what if that dorky little kid was right here instead?_

When Usopp had told Zoro how he got the scar on his forehead and lip when he still didn’t have his memories, Zoro couldn’t believe he had said such a thing. _I remember being so annoyed with Usoppu because it seemed like he was lying to me, just making up another one of his stories. But now that I know the truth and remember those experiences...I’d sacrifice my dream a thousand times in a thousand lives if there was even one chance to give Sanji a better childhood._

Wincing, Zoro remembered raising his hand to run his fingers through his green hair in frustration and the little boy had _flinched_ away from him. It made him sick to think of the possibilities that had caused Sanji to react that way. Relieved Sanji made it through his shit childhood and back to them, Zoro squeezed Sanji tighter to him and pressed his face into his hair. The heavy feeling in his chest turned from happiness to guilt even though that time had long ago passed. The man he held now was nothing like that little boy. Whoever his enemy was then, Sanji was a thousand times stronger than them now.

Plus, Sanji had _him_ as an ally.

 _It still stands,_ Zoro thought before drifting back to sleep. _If I ever meet the people who hurt him, I’ll kill them all._

___

Zoro woke with a start, a loud crack of thunder jolting him awake. Blinking the sleep away from his eyes, Zoro looked around the room. It was empty. _Must be breakfast time, then. I’ll wait for a few more minutes…_

Something slapped him over the face. “What the?!” Zoro said and looked around again. He couldn’t feel anyone in the room with him but he was sure something hit him...

Another slap to the face but this time Zoro saw it! A pale hand extending from Luffy’s bunk above him waited until he registered what was going on. Once he realized it was Robin, he looked around again for another sign of her. On the floor closest to the door was a second hand. This one was beckoning for him to follow. He groaned. Nothing ever good came from following her creepy hand-trails.

Sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his palms, Zoro pulled on his jeans and slid into his boots. The hand snapped its fingers with impatience and Zoro rolled his one good eye at it. Hanging over the back of a chair, Zoro grabbed his trench coat and swung it over his broad shoulders. Grabbing all three swords in a fistful, Robin’s devil-fruit hand had multiplied and they all started tugging on his coat to move. “Alright, alright, I’m going!” he said, unsure if Robin could hear him or not. On the way out, he hurriedly snatched up his sash and haramaki as he passed them by.

The hands dragged him into the aquarium room. It was just last night that he was in here with Sanji straddled over him, buck-ass naked, jerking off the both of them. He shuddered and tried to push that arousing thought away as he was approaching Robin.

“The hell do you want, Witch Number Two?” Zoro asked sleepily. He set his swords down on the table in the middle of the room and stepped into his haramaki and as he pulled it over his waist, he looked up to see Robin staring at his middle. “What?”

“What happened there?” She asked, genuinely concerned. Zoro was slightly surprised to hear such severity from her so early in the morning, especially since he didn’t know what she was talking about. 

Looking down to where Robin was now pointing, Zoro opened his coat and saw the sides of his ribs were dark purple. He scoffed under his breath, damning the swirly-brow’d idiot. “Cook wrapped his legs around me, is all,” Zoro sighed and continued situating the band so it felt right. He could feel the weight of Robin staring at him as he tied his sash tight and placed his swords in a looped knot. _“What?!”_ he snapped.

“Cook-san had...his legs wrapped around you already?” Robin asked slowly.

“What do you mean ‘already’? He always does tha _-haaatttt-_ THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!” Zoro shouted and slapped his hands over his face to cover his embarrassment. “I meant me’n the cook got into a scuffle and he fuckin pinned me! It’s why there're bruises, dammit! Are you listening?!” Zoro asked when he saw Robin stifling her laughter. _“That’s not what I meant!”_

“I believe you, Swordsman-san. But, that is precisely what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Zoro looked anywhere but at the brunette. He already felt awkward _without_ her creepy stare on him, but her eyes bore a hole into the side of his head. Another crack of thunder sounded above them. Light rain could be heard pelting the deck outside.

“Well? Spit it out.”

___

The waves crashed over Sunny, swallowing her deck up and attempted to wash anything away that wasn’t tied down. Most of the Straw Hats waited in the galley until Zoro returned. Franky quietly cursed the damn swordsman each time the ship _thunked_ into the docks. Nami _loudly_ cursed the damn swordsman because he knew damn well they were supposed to leave early in the morning yet he wandered off by himself.

While everyone else stayed out from under the pelting rain and tried to warm themselves under a blanket until they had to leave, Luffy and Sanji waited on Sunny’s head for Zoro’s return. Each separately debated whether or not they should go into town and look for him, seeing as how it wasn’t that big of a place, but for all they knew, the idiot could be on the other side of the damn island!

“There! Just there!” Luffy yelled out, pointing to a hill in the distance. A speck of green was running towards them. With a laugh, Luffy threw a rubbery hand back as far as it would stretch then launched it forward. Sanji assumed Zoro must have either grabbed ahold of Luffy’s hand or he was yanked by his jacket because Luffy gave a loud “Yoshi!” and his body flung backward to pull the marimo in.

In a split second, Zoro arrived, crashing into the railings behind them. Righting himself and rubbing the side of his head where his new scar was, he turned to his captain and gave a deep bow. “M’sorry. It shouldn’t have taken this long, I tooka wrong turn and-”

“SHIT-HEAD!” Sanji screeched, arching a flaming foot down onto Zoro’s back. “Let’s go!”

“Namiiiii!” Luffy sing-songed, signaling his navigator to get this ship on the open seas. The kitchen door burst open and after seeing Zoro was accounted for, the Straw Hats pulled out the ores to push away from the dock and manually get them out far enough until they could Coup de Burst the hell out of there.

___

The ocean was calmer but the rain didn’t let up. Occasionally, lightning would flash and light the sky up for as far as you could see, but no thunder for miles. For now, Nami had suggested they stay where they were and let the sea take them where it wanted until the storm had completely passed them by. The air didn’t feel right to her. Knowing the New World was full of surprises, she wanted to play it safe. They had already lost so much time in the race for the One Piece waiting for Zoro to recover.

Chopper and Usopp had passed out in Usopp’s bunk together. The sharpshooter snuggled the small reindeer close to him for warmth as the rain had tremendously cooled the air around them. They were surrounded by laughter as Franky, Brook, and Luffy played cards on the floor not too far off. Zoro and Sanji sat on the couch watching the others.

Falling in and out of sleep, Zoro had his arms crossed over his chest with his head leaned over the back of the couch. His mouth hung open while light snores escaped. If there was a loud burst of laughter or a _whoop_ from a winner, Zoro startled awake with a snort, looked around, pretended to be paying attention, then dozed back off.

Next to him, Sanji had an ankle crossed over his knee while he reread a book. The story consisted of awesome samurai battles, fluidly written that even Sanji could appreciate, despite their differences in fighting styles. Secretly, he was rereading it because he wanted to better learn the katana verbiage.

Despite how interesting the book was even on its second read, Sanji couldn’t stop thinking about the reason Zoro had gone into town without a word to the crew, especially after Robin had told him she deliberately sent him out there knowing damn well he wouldn’t be able to make it back in time by himself. The next time Zoro sputtered awake, Sanji elbowed him to keep him from falling back asleep. A grunt was all he got in reply. “Hey,” the blonde whispered.

“Mm?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving this morning? I’d have gone with you.” Sanji placed his bookmark on the current page and closed the book, setting it on the cushion next to him. He was torn between being irritated about Zoro holding the crew up and curious for what he’d go after for so willingly just because Robin had simply asked him. Surely it was something important, right?

Zoro groaned. “You were busy cleanin up after breakfast. I didn’t have time to wait,” he said with a shrug. Before Sanji could ask another question, Zoro began snoring again. Another elbow jab. “Oi!”

“I’m trying to talk to you!”

“Whadya want! I answered you!” Zoro said and tightened his arms over his chest with a huff.

“What did you go do?” Sanji asked, turning to face the scarred man. If he wasn’t so attuned to Zoro’s reactions and emotions, he’d never have caught the slight stiffening in his body, the flex of his jaw grinding together. _“Zoro…”_ Sanji warned.

The swordsman opened his eye and looked down at the others playing their game. Luffy was wrapped in a blanket with only his head popping out. Franky had on a sweater but still no pants because that made total sense. Brook was in a long, white nightgown making him look like the old man he really was. Zoro sighed. “Can we talk about it later?”

Sanji clicked his tongue. “Seriously? Like later tonight or tomorrow or when?!”

“After this storm has fully blown over.”

___

The storm didn’t blow over for another three miserable, grey days. Though, Sanji didn’t wait until the third day. By day two, he was ready to pry it out of the swordsman with his precious, bare hands if he had to!

From that night until two days later, Sanji and Zoro fought constantly. Nothing had changed between them whatsoever in that aspect of their relationship, at least. At the drop of a fork, the two were at each other’s throat, barking in each other's face. They roughhoused until Nami swung her fists over their heads for them to stop. It was too cramped inside the Sunny for them to be doing that type of shit and she had had enough of their bickering.

“Go outside in the rain if you want to kill each other! Or the _Crow’s Nest_ where you’re _supposed_ to spar! Idiots!” Nami spat after giving them another whack over the head for good measure. 

The two settled back into their seats at the kitchen table, mumbling and grumbling while Franky served another round of cards across the table for their fifteenth game of Black Jack. Of course, Nami won every single round and the Straw Hat’s debt grew exponentially, but at least the ship’s navigator was having fun, right?

Opposite him, Sanji watched Zoro try to understand the rules of the game. His brows knit close together and sometimes he chewed on his lip in frustration. Sanji smiled and extended his leg out to set his foot next to Zoro’s boot. As if nothing had happened, Zoro groaned with a ‘Surrender’ for his cards and flopped his cheek in his hand, shooting a glare at Nami. But under the table, Zoro gently rubbed his leg against his.

_Yeah, nothing has changed between us...except this. This wonderful feeling of reciprocated love and affection, surrounded by my family who fully supports us. This is worth all the pain and suffering from so long ago. This is a life worth living._

___

“I can’t take another round of this, goddammit!” Zoro shouted, throwing his cards in the air. “We’ve been playing for three and a half hours and I’ve quadrupled my debt!”

The table erupted into a roarous laughter because it was true, just about all of them were up to their eyeballs in debt to Nami. The swordsman snatched up his katanas and stomped out of the galley into the pouring rain. 

Zoro growled under his breath because _the weather better make up its damn mind of what it wants to do! Rain, stop, rain, stop, light, heavy, light, heavy, fuck, fuck, fuck! So sick of looking at grey skies!_

Slamming the hatch to the Crow’s Nest, the sound of the rain outside muffled and was soon pushed to the back of Zoro’s mind as he focused on training. At least there was that, there was _always_ that. Or even another long session of meditation would do his body well. It would calm him after that stressful ‘game’ Nami dragged them into.

He didn’t even want to play to begin with! Zoro said he’d rather take a nap or clean his swords or jump off the side of the boat than play a game, _with real berries,_ against Nami. But n0o0o0o0o0oo, Sanji and Luffy tagged teamed to convince him to stay. _Idiots! They’re both idiots! I’m so fucked now, I owe so goddamn much!_

Zoro took a deep breath in, held it, then slowly let it out. Yeah, he needed to meditate. If he worked out in his current state, he’d end up throwing a dumbbell through a fucking window. As tempting as that sounded right now, he didn’t think Franky or Usopp would be too happy with him. And if he damaged the ship, Nami would probably charge him even more, so that’s not an option.

Setting his katanas on the bench, Zoro began untying his sash. He was just about to rip his trench coat off and toss it across his swords when he remembered the purchase he had made the other day. Suddenly, the small object felt very heavy in his coat, weighing against his thigh. Zoro looked around as if someone could see him up here and directly into his pocket, knowing exactly what he was up to.

With a _groan_ and a _grimace_ and a _sigh,_ Zoro eased out of his coat as if it could shatter and folded it in a way so the object wouldn’t fall out. That was the _last_ thing he needed. He then slid out of his pants and boots to put his workout sweats on. Zoro wrinkled his nose and bent down halfway to meet a raised knee. _Sniff, sniff._ After this session, these pants definitely needed a good wash. They were stinky even for Zoro. He wondered if Luffy would think they were stinky. The prissy blonde would _definitely_ think they were too stinky.

_Sanji._

Zoro glanced over at his trench and swallowed back the lump that was rising in his throat. There weren’t many things in the New World that scared Zoro. Not even the possibility of losing his other eye scared him, blindness wouldn’t ever stop him from slicing Mihawk in half. Losing _nakama_ was just about the only thing he truly feared.

Until Robin approached him two days ago.

___

In the hopes of Zoro calming down and rejoining everyone, Sanji had let him have his little tantrum by himself. As the hours ticked by and the day turned to night, Sanji decided the idiot marimo wasn’t coming back down, at least not on his own accord. 

Wrapping a towel over his shoulders and head, Sanji stepped into the pouring rain. The rain carried him sideways a few feet before he managed to regain his balance and head up to the Crow’s Nest where he could feel Zoro’s calm aura. When he popped his head through the hatch, he expected to see the brute with an impossibly large weight in his hands or pushing himself up and down for his millionth pushup. Instead, Zoro sat in the middle of the room with his legs crossed over each other and was perfectly still. _Meditating again, huh?_ Sanji thought and climbed the rest of the way into the room without disturbing the other. He shook the towel out as it did little to prevent him from becoming soaked. The air felt slightly muggy from the windows being closed and the rainy atmosphere. Little beads of sweat trickled down Zoro’s temples. Sanji wondered if Zoro knew he was in here and chose to ignore him.

“You about done with that?” Sanji asked. When there was no response, he concluded Zoro was too deep within his mind to realize he had company. The first reaction he had was to give Zoro a good kick in the head and send him flying to the other side of the room. Not entirely feeling a fight since he was drenched to the bone, Sanji instead sat in front of Zoro, mirroring his position. 

Even though he had already decided against using violence, Sanji couldn’t help but feel annoyed that Zoro still hadn’t felt his presence. _Maybe a kick to the skull_ **was** _a good idea._

With that evil intention seeping from Sanji’s mind, Zoro reached out to grab ahold of Sanji’s throat, quick as the lightning that surrounded the ship. When he opened his eye, he loosened his hold and softly ran his thumb up and down. “Sorry. Felt hostility.”

Once the initial shock of suddenly being grabbed with a death grip wore off, Sanji smiled. “Idiot,” he said with no real bite. “How are you feeling? Any better than earlier?”

“Yeah, meditating helped.”

“You gonna talk to me now or am I going to have to crush your ribs again?”

Zoro stiffened at the reminder of the bruises littering his sides. Robin had thought they appeared because they... _because they…_

“That a ‘yes’?” Sanji asked, pushing Zoro’s hand off him. “I don’t see what the big deal is, just tell me.”

Subconsciously, Zoro glanced over to his jacket, then trailed over to the windows to see the weather outside. “Said I’d tell you when it stopped raining, didn’t I?” he said, hoping the swirly-brow would leave it be.

Sanji huffed. “Who knows when it will let up, Zoro! Just spit it out, dammit!” he shouted and leaned forward into Zoro’s face. 

Swallowing hurt because Zoro’s mouth had gone dry. “I can’t tell you,” he said weakly. Sanji noticed how the swordsman wouldn’t keep eye contact with him. “I mean, I _can,_ I just _can’t.”_

“The hell does that mean?” Sanji spat and pushed Zoro’s shoulder. “And what the hell do you keep looking at?!” Sanji looked over to the bench to see if anything was there but only Zoro’s katanas and day clothes were visible. Zoro whipped his head back and said ‘nothing!’ which meant he was obviously looking at _something._ “Will you at least stop avoiding me? I can tell there has been something on your mind. You know, whether you realize it or not, when you act funny it makes me act funny. You’re...not making me feel very confident.”

Zoro wasn’t the type of man to lie or fake his feelings to make someone feel better, especially with Sanji. The chef couldn’t help but feel smaller and smaller, though, the longer Zoro held onto this weird secret of his. He knew he should be thankful for whatever he was given, consider himself lucky he had been given this much happiness. _But what is he hiding?_

“It’s not anything bad!” Zoro quickly said. “I’m just...embarrassed, is all,” he admitted sheepishly. He scratched at the back of his head and Sanji could feel how awkward Zoro was being and saw how, again, his eye glanced to the side towards the bench.

There was an easy way to find out what the hell was going on and it was to play a guessing game. Sanji abruptly stood and walked over to Zoro’s things. About a foot away from his destination, Zoro had tackled him to prevent him from going any further. This, of course, caused Sanji to explode in anger because now he knew for sure there was something in the pile of stuff that Zoro didn't want him to see! The two wrestled each other, Zoro trying to pull Sanji away from the benches and Sanji reaching for whatever he could grab.

Zoro had wrapped his arms around Sanji’s middle and suplexed him into the floor mats. Sanji’s neck folded as he hit, causing him to groan. He followed up with a knee to Zoro’s gut when the man tried pinning him down. “What is your problem?! What’s over there?!”

“Nothing! Leave it alone!” Zoro desperately cried out.

Sanji found himself still trapped under Zoro’s weight, even after the blow to the stomach. Zoro was a damn muscle machine! Sanji took advantage of his legs being available and grabbed his around the waist, ensnaring him once again in a trap Zoro so easily fell for. He locked his ankles together and gave a harsh squeeze. Zoro immediately went slack over him as his ribs were still sore and sensitive from the first time. “Tell me what you’re hiding, Zoro!”

“I’m not...,” Zoro wheezed, panting heavily. “I’m not good at this.”

“Good at what!” Sanji shouted and tightened his hold. Zoro threw his head back and winced with pain. Sanji loosened up a fraction amount to let Zoro speak.

“Relationship stuff!”

Cocking his head, Sanji wondered what that had to do with anything. It brought back the anxious feeling he had a moment ago, suddenly feeling small again because _what did that mean? Zoro’s not telling him something and it’s because he’s not good at relationships? Did he change his mind about me?_ “What do you mean?! What does that mean?!” Sanji asked hysterically. Without realizing it, he had begun to crush Zoro with a force that rendered the swordsman unable to scream out. Only when he felt a sharp pain did he realize he was hurting Zoro so much. Tanned fingers were digging into his shoulders as there was nothing else Zoro could do in this situation. Sanji let up and Zoro collapsed over him.

Zoro gasped for air after being released. His hot breath fanned across Sanji’s neck while the blonde waited for him to recover. Eventually, Zoro lifted himself to look down at him. “It means…,” Zoro started, still wincing in either pain or more embarrassment. Sanji figured it was both with the way he frantically kept looking between blue eyes and his belongings on the bench. “I’m inexperienced and don’t know what the next steps I should be taking with you are.”

Hearing Zoro recognize some sort of flaw in himself was already quite baffling to Sanji, but knowing it was about the two of them in this new relationship they had going made Sanji feel like there were dozens of butterflies fluttering their wings inside his stomach. “W-what?” he whispered. Zoro’s eye finally came back from where it was looking to meet his intense gaze again. “Zoro...what is over there that you keep looking at?”

For a moment, it looked as if Zoro didn’t plan on telling him anything yet again. But after a good, long sigh, he admitted, “I bought something for us.”

“And what did you buy for us?” Sanji asked, inspecting Zoro's reddened face.

“Lube.”

“...Oh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought of this picture while writing the "crushing Zoro's ribs" scenes. Obviously less playful 😂👌  
> https://dreamxxdream.tumblr.com/post/158030138597
> 
> dreamxxdream is one of my favorite ZoSan artists! One of the many...


	14. Always Got Your Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'd give Zoro a nice fight since he hasn't had any action since his coma. And action he gets >:3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang, I'm back with my longest chapter ever with 18K+ words - das crazy
> 
> ILLUSTRATIONS by @chow_bii on Twitter - thanks, boo! (pssst, she's open for commissions!)
> 
> TW: Violence with blood, violence with fire, & child abuse.

“Lube.”

“Oh,” Sanji said. That wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like Zoro could keep _breaking up with him_ in his coat pocket, or a written confession to another person, or a middle finger with a laughing _‘surprise! I was joking the whole time!’_ in there _._ No, none of that. So why make a fuss about a little bottle of - _“Oooh,”_ Sanji repeats as he stares up at the marimo. He looks uncomfortable. “Oh, I see. You, uh, bought that...for us, you said?”

Zoro goes red and Sanji would normally take this opportunity to poke fun at his rival, but he can’t seem to muster up the courage to do so. He feels the tips of his ears burn and his chest gets tight with heat. Zoro clears his throat, nods, and rolls off him to lay at his side. Both arms are sprawled out, one laying over Sanji’s chest. Together they look up at the ceiling of the Crow’s Nest.

For the most part, the silence was awkward. The unspoken deed hung over them both, heavier than they could handle. Zoro spoke first. He sat himself up on his side and propped his head up with a bent elbow while his other hand covered his face, muffling his voice. “Look, I don’t want to go too fast with you if you’re not up for it. I just figured we’ve known each other for a while and-”

“It’s not too fast,” Sanji interrupted. Zoro moved his fingers to see between them, staring at the blonde. “It’s not too fast.”

“Pfft, see? Yer such a hornball,” Zoro laughed and let his hand fall. Sanji squawked and smacked Zoro in the chest with the back of his hand. “What? Am I wrong? Why else would you think our pace was fine?”

Sitting up, Sanji scowled. “You said it yourself! We’ve known each other for two and a half years now. We’re both consenting adults. I’d like to think we can make that private decision on our own, not letting any outside opinions influence us.” A cigarette was produced and lit up. Sanji took a deep inhale in, held it for a beat, then let it out into the air above them. “Plus, you’re hot as hell. Of course I want to go all the way.” _What Zoro didn’t have to know is I’ve been dying to do this since I was seventeen,_ Sanji thought to himself. _His Wanted poster rapidly taped to the wall of my room so I could think of him with every gasping breath. The fantasy images have gone on long enough. I’m finally going to be able to do it for real with him. I’ve only gotten a small taste of it in the Aquarium Room..._

Zoro returned his gaze to the ceiling after flopping onto his back. “Alright.”

“Alright, then.”

“Makes sense.”

“Makes perfect sense.”

“Still a hornball.”

“Still a horn-” Sanji stopped short and sighed. “Whatever.” _I guess he isn’t wrong._ The cigarette was already smoked halfway down, the blonde’s nerves getting the better of him. He hoped the cig would have calmed his spiking heart rate but apparently, it had a mind of its own tonight. Blue eyes glanced down at the swordsman who now had his arms crossed under his head and his eye closed. “So, uhm...Did you...you know, have a plan for that?” he asked. It was one thing to talk about the possibility of sex, or to get supplies for it, but did Zoro think _all_ of it through?

Shrugging, Zoro made an _‘I dunno’_ noise and left it at that. The First Mate was a simple man. Either he did or he didn’t, no matter the subject, that was that. Intimacy would be no different. With another sigh, Sanji blew the last breath of smoke towards Zoro’s face to rile him up. “Did you want to do it now?” he asked, probably too hopeful for his own good. 

A grey eye looked at him. The swordsman didn’t react to the smoke or mention of sex, only stared as if he were weighing the decision in his head. “No,” he said flatly.

The answer was short and cold. Even though that was Zoro’s true personality, nothing personal attached to his decision, it still hurt. Sanji shrugged to keep it casual and _intended_ on standing up and leaving but the pouring rain outside made him stay put and ask a question he didn’t think he entirely wanted to hear the answer to. “Why not?” he asked quietly. It wasn’t that he was so ready he couldn’t possibly wait another second without jumping Zoro’s bones, it was more along the lines of why wasn’t Zoro willing to do it if he had just told him he bought supplies for them to do so?

Sitting up, Zoro pulled a knee to his chest and rested his arm over it. The other pointed at the chef as he spoke. “Just because you don't think it’s too fast, don’t mean I’m ready to do it, too!” he said, cheeks tinting pink. “I only got that shit cause I didn’t know how long we’d be at sea and I’d...well I’d rather...you know. I’d rather be prepared in case…”

Watching the stoic muscle-head stumble over his words because talking about sex was hard for him had Sanji wanting to tease him all the more, his earlier embarrassment long gone. “‘In case’ what, Marimo- _kun?_ In case you can’t resist me?” Sanji’s sultry voice said. Zoro’s eye widened when he saw Sanji start for him. The blonde crawled forward and into Zoro’s lap, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him onto his back. “In case we’re in the heat of the moment again and you wanna take it further with me?”

Zoro swallowed. This wasn’t a Sanji he was familiar with. The Sunny’s chef was someone he knew better than anyone else, but _this_ Sanji?! Where had _this_ Sanji been hiding? This wasn’t the dorky-spinning-on-his-heels Sanji who had hearts for eyes. _This_ Sanji was suddenly too calm and confident, a smirk and half-lidded eyes on his face.

 _This_ Sanji was hot. Zoro watched as the chef’s tongue slowly made its way past his lips to give them a lick, leaving them shiny and wet. The wave of smoke had Zoro relapsing back to his obsessive state, reeling him as tight as the line would go. The damn curly cook was right, though, because Zoro wouldn’t be able to resist him, not with this newly found attraction that he gave into, not with this newly cast spell put upon him, and _certainly_ not with this newly confessed love he had for this man.

Love. If Zoro loved Sanji, and Sanji loved Zoro, what did it matter if it was too soon or too late? There wasn’t a rulebook on relationships dictating how they should be lived, so why was he trying to hold out on the other?

“Fuck,” Zoro whined and pulled Sanji down to kiss him.

Sanji moaned when Zoro licked the inside of his mouth, and when their tongues slid over each other, a shiver ran down his spine. Short nails scratched down Zoro’s arms, then back up again to caress for more. It was then when Zoro flipped Sanji off him to reverse their positions. The two of them rolled around on the mats, each trying to gain dominance over the other. There was hair-pulling, lip biting, and tight grips around necks to achieve the upper hand.

They panted for air between kisses, hardly able to let up knowing they’d lose if they did. Sanji pinned Zoro down with a knee pressed to his crotch, gaining a deep groan from him, then increased the pressure with a sadistic smile.

Across the room, the hatch opened and large, brown eyes appeared over the floorboards. The two were so preoccupied they didn’t notice until a whispering voice caught their attention. “Pssstttt.” Both Sanji and Zoro’s heads whipped to the noise to see Luffy staring at them. Neither answered, too embarrassed by getting caught in the almost-act. “Oh, were you wrestling?” he asked, standing up straight and flinging the door open all the way to slam against the floor behind him. “I wanted food but I wanna fight, too!”

___

On that third day, the storm let up and they were put back on course to the end of the world. The Straw Hats were beyond tired from continuously retying things down, sewing and resewing holes in the sails, and throwing various sea-creatures off the deck after they washed aboard. All of this chaos resulted in the crew lazing about under the bright sun on a calm ocean. 

The only two pirates who were actively doing something were Sanji, making small finger food for everyone as always, and Usopp, who was rubbing suntan lotion onto the girl’s backs. The sharpshooter may or may not have received a glare from the cook when he saw _that_ going on, but he knew if he wanted to stay on Nami’s and Zoro’s good side, he’d have to shape up his drooling. Sanji sniffled at the loss. That could be _him,_ you know...

The rest were on their backs, sprawled out on the soft grass. Little beads of sweat formed on their temples and their chests were turning pink, but after those three, grueling days through that impossible storm, no one cared to move at this point. Since the sail was taut and bringing them onward, that’s all that mattered. A little sunburn never hurt anyone.

Zoro sleepily ran his fingers through Luffy’s sweat-soaked hair as he watched Sanji wait on everyone. The captain’s head was leaned over Zoro’s stomach while his feet were propped against Franky’s huge, round shoulder piece. Every so often, the swordsman would smile to himself when he’d hear Luffy mumble about meat or being the Pirate King. The kid was never fully turned off, was he?

The cook was no better, either. The man never took the time to relax as the rest of them did. There was always something to be doing. Either marinating, peeling, canning, chopping, storing, inventorying, sweeping, rinsing, and even concocting new recipes in his free time. All of that shit instead of taking five damn minutes for himself to sit still. It was partially why Zoro wasn’t fully capable of enjoying his nap.

“Oi, cook,” Zoro called out. Sanji stopped in his tracks on his way back to the kitchen and looked over his shoulder. “C’mere.” The blonde rolled his eyes but obliged. He stood over Zoro, blocking the sun from his face. When Zoro curled his finger at him, Sanji squatted. “When you gonna be done?”

Looking from Zoro to Luffy then to the rest of the crew around them, Sanji sighed. “Not for a while. I wanted to get started on - ow!” Sanji snapped his hand to the side of his head after Zoro reached up to tug on a tuft of hair. “The fuck was that for?!”

“Shh, don’t wake him,” Zoro warned, his brows furrowed as he pointed to Luffy. “Help me keep’em company.”

“I’m busy with - ow! Will you fuckin quit - OW!”

“Hmmnn?” Luffy mumbled and twisted over to his side to see what all the commotion was about. “Hey, Sanji,” he said quietly with a growing grin.

Sanji gave an apologetic smile back and said, “Hey, Captain. How was your nap?” he asked. Since he felt bad for waking him, especially after Zoro tried preventing him from doing so, he gave up on his activities in the kitchen and flopped backward to lean against Franky’s shoulder. He pulled Luffy’s feet into his lap and fingered a cigarette from his breast pocket, rolling it between his fingers while the other hand loosened his tie. 

“Mmm, s’good. Still tired, though. Sun’s warm,” Luffy mumbled and Sanji saw his eyelids struggle to stay open. Zoro continued massaging his captain's scalp. It didn’t take long for him to fall back asleep.

“Stay here,” Zoro said behind a closed eye. “Relax with us.” 

A perfectly polished shoe pushed against Zoro’s cheek. “I’m not good at relaxing, baka. I get jittery.”

“Smoke that, then,” Zoro said. Sanji looked at the cigarette and thought about it. He didn’t want to interrupt Luffy’s and Franky’s nap by clouding up their breathing room with nicotine. Even though it’s exactly what he’d need if he planned on sitting still for longer than a few minutes. “No one cares. Just light it up.”

With a shrug, Sanji did so. The mild burn he felt in the back of his throat traveling down into his lungs felt euphoric. It was much easier to let his mind wander to whatever instead of constantly thinking of the next thing to do on his never-ending list. Sanji shifted his weight. Franky was _not_ an ideal pillow.

As if he could read his mind, Zoro lifted his hand from Luffy’s head and held it out. Sanji looked to him for an answer but his eye was still closed. Then he gestured for Sanji and he got the idea. The blonde sighed as he took his jacket off and laid next to Luffy over the swordsman. Luffy was _very_ warm and the heat radiating off Zoro was no better. The comfort, though, is what kept Sanji still. He laid his head against Zoro’s chest and kicked his long legs up onto Franky. Zoro had waited until Sanji stopped moving, indicating he was fully situated, then rested his arm over him.

Sanji continued sucking on his cigarette while Zoro messed with the top button on his shirt. Once it was popped open, he rubbed circles over Sanji’s sternum for a few minutes, his fingers slowly coming to a stop as his breathing evened out into deep breaths and light snores. Sanji smiled. 

___

The crew woke to Usopp screeching about a fleet of pirate ships coming their way. He yelled down to them from the crow’s nest informing everyone there were thirteen ships he could see, all with pirate flags. When everyone began sitting up and was able to shake the sun-sleep from their minds, they followed where Usopp was pointing and, sure enough, far off on the horizon were a pile of boats coming their way.

Luffy sprung onto the ratlines to get a better look. They were headed towards their Starboard and if left on this path, they’d eventually collide. 

“Can you see the jolly roger?” Brook called. Usopp said the wind was distorting it too much to tell. The skeleton turned to his crewmates and smiled a toothy grin. “It looks like we might have some visitors, doesn’t it?”

“Do you think they’re friendly?” Luffy laughed as he jumped down next to his First Mate.

Usopp made another screeching noise and shouted, “They have a skull flag so they’re definitely not friendly!”

Luffy puffed his cheeks out in a pout before saying, “We have a skull flag and we’re friendly. And Torao has a skull flag and he’s friendly...and Shanks...and-”

“I GET IT!” Usopp shouted over Luffy. His captain never truly remembered not everyone was a monster made up of rubber bones. “Nami! Can we change routes?”

“Yeah, we could go-”

“NOPE!” Luffy interrupted. “I’m bored! Let’s see if they wanna fight. Oooohhh, what if they wanna party? Sanji, will you make a feast if they do?” Luffy asked and jumped on Sanji’s front, hanging by his neck. 

Sanji stumbled for a moment before regaining his balance, the cigarette pack and lighter in his hands almost being knocked away. “Yeah, yeah, you know I will,” he muttered. Luffy ‘yahoo’d’ into the air and started running around the ship in joy from a potential party.

Chopper had also begun to run around the ship but in fear. The sound of hooves _click-clacking_ against the wood as the reindeer ran between everyone’s legs was drowned out by the laughter that followed Chopper’s worrying.

Robin intercepted the doctor and swung him up into her arms. “Why are you afraid, little one? We have our captain to protect us, remember?” she cooed in his ear with her soothing, low voice. She smoothed his ruffled fur down until Chopper became less hysterical, agreeing he was being silly.

“If they know what’s good for’em, they’ll avoid us,” Zoro said while shrugging his trench over his shoulders. “But I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs after that storm. Right, Curly?”

Sanji rolled his eyes but nodded. What he _really_ wouldn’t mind doing was taking Zoro to the back of the ship to pick up where they left off before Luffy interrupted them...but it looked like that would have to wait. Again.

The cigarette between Sanji’s teeth stayed unlit for the time being, Sanji debating whether or not he should smoke one now or during their possible fight. “Don’t go rushing into it, Marimo. We don’t know their intentions. If they’re weak, might as well stick our tongue out at them and keep going.”

A few others laughed and Franky struck a pose. Usopp had climbed down from the tower and joined the rest of the crew. While Luffy ran around to burn off a sliver of his energy, the rest of the Straw Hats talked about their plan if the pirates turned out to be enemies. It was important to keep some of the crew behind on the Sunny to protect her, which usually Usopp and Franky landed that job. Neither minded. Nami also stayed on Sunny to deal damage from afar, but occasionally would join the fun on the battlefield. 

Then Brook, Chopper, and Robin were sent out to the outskirts to handle people who tried fleeing and keeping all enemies within range. They didn’t want anyone getting away but they also didn’t want to let too many stragglers wander to the center of the chaos. Zoro and Sanji’s jobs were to protect Luffy while he created that chaos.

And Luffy? Well, Luffy’s job was to have his fun. Since no one could ever stop him, the crew went with his antics and supported all his crazy ideas and logic. Besides, some of the crew liked being thrown into that mess to challenge their survival, to feel if they were alive.

It took the pirate fleet around an hour to sail within range of a rubber body sling-shot or the Shark Submerge. By the sounds of guns going off and cannonballs flying through the air, it was safe to assume they would _not_ be having a mingling pirate dinner together that night. Luffy brought himself and Brook over to what looked like the captain’s ship, the skeleton’s scream could be heard the whole way over. Usopp went back to the Crow’s Nest to get the best shot as the sniper while Franky manned a cannon or two. Robin and Chopper were in the water below in the Shark sub, the top hatch open and waiting for Zoro to hop in.

The Sunny’s cook hopped onto the railing to begin Skywalking across the open sea but was quickly pulled backward by his sleeve. “Oi, oi!” Sanji spat around his cig, landing next to Zoro. “What is it, shit-head? Don’t keep Robin-chan waiting for you!” Zoro was glaring at him, brows furrowed together and teeth clenched. _“What?!”_

“Just - just don’t get in my way again!” Zoro snapped.

 _“Hah?_ How have I ever-” Sanji started but was cut off by Zoro yanking his shirt into both hands, forcing him on the tips of his shoes. 

“Don’t make me hesitate again.”

Realizing Zoro was referring to the giant hammer to the side of the head, Sanji winced knowing the other was right. “Right, I won’t. Sorry.”

“And don’t get shot.”

“I won’t!”

“And don’t let those fuckers come any closer to you than the length of your leg!”

“Oh my god, I won’t! _”_

“And if the waves get out of control, hold onto something!”

“What?!”

Zoro gripped Sanji’s shirt tighter when he tried wriggling away. “And don’t get kidnapped!”

“Where would they take me?!”

“And don’t you dare turn into a stupid, annoying kid again!”

 _Ah. That’s what this is about,_ Sanji thought. He relaxed and rested a hand over Zoro’s. “It’s alright, Zoro. It won’t happen again.”

Zoro’s teeth creaked as he ground them together at the sight of Sanji’s nonchalant smile. “Don’t take this lightly, you curly-brained fuck! A lot has happened to you!”

“Iz da ma-we-mo worried about- _mmpff!”_ Sanji was cut off by Zoro crashing their lips together, quickly releasing him with a shove and an eye-roll.

“M’not worried about you. Yer strong. Ya just can’t seem to catch a break, is all,” Zoro said and stepped onto the railing. “Meet you over there.” He jumped overboard to land in the sub below. When Sanji looked over the side, the hatch was already closed and the metal shark was sinking below the sea. 

Sanji shook his head to himself then launched into the sky.

___

The ships were absolute anarchy. These pirates didn’t have much organization to them, only their numbers and weapons gave them their strength. Sanji was reminded of the Don Krieg Pirates way back when he first met Zoro, the man who had his back pressed against his at this very moment. 

Don Krieg was only feared because he had a large crew. Thinking back on it now, he was nothing compared to the other fish they fried on the daily. The man was mad in the head with a God Complex bigger than the New World itself, but was no match for Luffy; a nobody who had just started his voyage. 

Sanji laughed as he rolled over Zoro’s back to kick a man’s teeth in, at least what was left of them. Hundreds of men surrounded them with various pointy objects all aimed at the two Straw Hats. Guns went off left and right but it only made the fight that much more challenging, that much more _exhilarating_. Sanji spun on his hand to send a group soaring clear to the back of the ship. Zoro swung his sword horizontally, creating a wave of air that blew dozens of pirates off the edge and into the sea below. When Sanji caught a glimpse of the swordsman's face, he was smiling. His feral grin went from ear to ear. 

Above them, Luffy hopped onto the foremast and slid down the sail to land next to Sanji and Zoro. “Hiya!” he greeted. The two looked to their captain to see what he wanted, Zoro hacking through the belly of a man who got too close and Sanji kicking someone’s neck into a ninety-degree angle. “Gotta show you something!” Luffy said and wrapped one stretchy, noodle-arm around them both and flung the other out to a different ship, rocketing them forward.

Landing with a roll, the Monster Trio got to their feet. “What the hell did ya need’ta show us, Luf?” Zoro said, checking Wado was still safely in her scabbard. He readjusted his grip on Shusui and Kitetsu as he looked around.

“Look!” Luffy said, pointing towards the upper deck. There fighting was a woman taller than Franky himself, wielding two boning knives with ease. She sliced and diced her way through her comrades to get to Brook. The long, slim knives spun around her fingers as she danced towards him, finally striking a threatening pose once Brook stood in front of her.

“OI!” Zoro shouted, almost tripping over himself to get to her before Brook laid her out. “Leave her to me!”

Sanji held out a hand to stop Zoro but quickly pulled it back to his chest, remembering Zoro’s words earlier.

_Don’t make me hesitate again._

Taking a deep breath and holding it until he felt dizzy, Sanji pulled another cigarette out and lit up. The woman was beautiful, and a chef no less! Her long, tanned legs stuck out from a white miniskirt with a chef’s coat buttoned over her voluptuous chest and her long, blonde hair flowed in the whipping wind. Smoke billowed out from Sanji’s nose as he watched Zoro climb up the wall and hop over the railing to push Brook aside. _Such a gorgeous lady, too. What a waste,_ he thought and turned away, unable to watch Zoro destroy her. Instead, he focused his attention on the rest of the kitchen crew, who had fanned out around him.

Zoro grinned at the woman. “Y’ever fight with a sword?”

With grace, she tossed her hair over her shoulder with the tip of a knife. “Don’t need to when I have these,” she sneered, spinning them around as she slunk her way closer and squatted into a crouch, ready to pounce. Zoro measured them to be about two feet in length, no more than an inch wide at its thickest point at the handle. The way she had cut her own people down to get to Brook had told Zoro all he needed to know about her: she _wanted_ to fight a swordsman. And Zoro would give her just that.

“Let’s see you use these, instead,” Zoro said and twirled his blades around to offer the hilts to her. “What’s yer name?”

The woman straightened, towering over Zoro by more than two feet. When she smiled, a set of insanely sharp teeth glinted in the sun at him. “Amelia,” she said and flung her boning knives behind her to land in the wall.

“Think you can beat me, Amelia?” Zoro asked. As his swords were taken out of his hands, Zoro pulled Wado and gave her a few quick swipes through the air to ready her for the duel.

Amelia sized up Kitetsu and Shusui, tossing them in her hands a few times and giving them a flick through the air just as Zoro did. “Captain never lets me use swords,” she said with a fake pout, only to be returned with a grin that split her face in two. “And I know I can beat you, Roronoa Zoro.”

Zoro watched her crescent eyes dart from his earrings to his chest scar. He shivered at the thought of his reputation growing, the idea of people rising to the top to reach him just as he still reaches for Mihawk. “I hope you don’t disappoint.”

Just as Zoro thought, Amelia couldn’t resist the bloodlust Kitetsu pulled from her, egging her on. The cursed blade wasn’t easy to wield and he hoped it pushed her to madness, but not enough to make her reckless, only enough to make this moment last. The woman threw her head back to cackle into the sky, her tongue lolling to the side, then she lurched forward.

Some of Amelia’s crewmembers yelped and screamed as the tip of both swords met their backs or bellies as her arms flailed. Zoro jumped backward to stay out of reach, enjoying every second she held Kitetsu. The railing pushed against his back and going with the flow, he tipped over in a backflip, waiting on the deck below. 

With a scream closer to a banshee than a woman, Amelia sprung one leg up to the railing and surged forward. “Stop moving!” she yelled after landing.

Zoro laughed at the sight of her coming undone so quickly from the cursed blade. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll stay put right here, kay? Shit, I’ll even put one hand behind my back.”

Amelia’s lips curled back over her teeth. “Don’t underestimate me!” she screeched and sliced the air until Shusui met with Wado, Kitetsu quick to follow. Another scream with each hack, every attack easily met by Wado and a bored Zoro. When he didn’t falter, she spun on her heel and jumped back a few steps to put some distance between them.

At the tip of the bowsprit, Sanji kept his eye on his partner and the woman. “Stop playing with your food! It’s bad manners!” he yelled. When Zoro lifted a middle finger over his shoulder, Sanji whined to himself that he couldn’t take seeing a precious lady being treated so badly. _Damn bastard!_

The Straw Hat’s captain yelled a _Gomu Gomu no_ from the stern and soon after a giant hand could be seen inflating over the top cabin creating a colossal-sized shadow to loom over them all. The bow was sent upward the moment Luffy’s fist hit the deck. Enemy pirates were crushed, bodies and splinters of wood were sent flying.

To avoid being sunk, many surviving pirates jumped to other floating pieces or grabbed onto ropes that were thrown to them from the surrounding ships. Amelia slid down the incline until her foot was ankle-deep in seawater. Letting Zoro know she was still game, she gave the swords a spin and flicked her head at him. Zoro followed, sliding downward, arching Wado, and used his momentum to crush her. Amelia blocked by crossing the swords over her head, but the weight of the blow buckled her knees.

“Sorry I had to move, but I’m still using one hand, at least?” Zoro asked, hoping it would suffice. Amelia frowned when she realized he was right, his free-hand still tucked behind him. 

Growling out of frustration, Amelia went red in the face and wildly whipped the swords in hopes to sever Zoro into pieces. Even under the irritation, she still had room for laughter. Her eyes bulged, pupils mere slits from the thirst for Zoro’s blood. Kitetsu needed it.

“If you tried to control the hunger, you could prolly stand straight,” Zoro informed her, moving Wado to his left to block, then above him and to the other side. Zoro’s boot was slipping, causing him to close the small gap between them, but he couldn’t move from this new spot. He had to at least give her that much, he gave her his word.

“Shut up!” Amelia screamed, her voice cracking. The edges of her eyes started to show thin, red veins and Zoro knew she was giving into Kitetsu completely. She hadn’t managed to land a single blow on the swordsman, despite how skilled she was. 

Even after losing herself, Zoro was still impressed. Amelia had confessed she wasn’t allowed to use swords, only wielding kitchen knives. She handled them well enough. If only one wasn’t sucking every ounce of control she had, she may have had a decent chance.

The boat groaned. The front end was pointing directly up now and it began to sink into the water. There were shouts from the enemies to grab a hold of their comrades and, mixed in the confusion, Sanji yelled for Zoro.

“Get the captain, shit-head! He’s still over there!” Sanji shouted but when he looked to the place he last saw the green-haired man, he was gone. The woman, too. 

“Don’t worry about me, Sanji-san,” Brook said from behind him, the two balancing on the now horizontal mast. With each passing second, it sunk closer and closer to the water. Soon, their feet were being splashed by the waves. “I’ll find our Robin-san and head back, yes?”

Sanji nodded. Brook gave off a ridiculously joyous _‘yohohoho!’_ and started skittering across the water to another ship. Only until Sanji was sure he made it did he break his gaze away to look for a straw hat or a mold infestation. He jumped from one floating piece of wood to another, skirting the last remaining parts of the boat before it was swallowed completely. 

“I’m serious, just take a deep breath and it’ll help!” Sanji heard Zoro say to his left. Quickly following the voice, the chef vaulted off the piece he was on leaving it bobbing in the water behind him and landed on another where he could see around a massive wall. There was the woman in chef’s whites, his partner, and over Zoro’s shoulder was his captain, limp as a wet noodle with his unruly black hair exposed. 

The woman was _not_ looking good. Even from here, Sanji could tell she was going mad. _She won’t ever recover from holding that damn sword,_ he thought to himself. Zoro truly was messing with her, it was almost too cruel. “Oi, Marimo! I think she’s had enough!”

Turning, Zoro yelled, “Find his hat!” and returned his attention to the two blades ripping through the air around him. 

There wasn’t any _time_ to think of what Zoro would do next because Luffy’s _hat_ wasn’t tied safely around his neck. It could be anywhere. Sanji felt his heartbeat accelerate as he panicked. _It could be anywhere!_

As Sanji hopped around in search of Luffy’s treasure, he could hear the fading laughter of the woman and the sounds of wood being hacked into as Zoro dodged. 

Amelia winced from Wado piercing her left arm, freezing the hand that held Kitetsu out in front of her. 

“Gimmie this one back. You can’t fight properly with it,” Zoro said, wiggling Wado to shake the sword free from her grasp. Amelia verbally refused and tried stuffing Shusui into its owner, but Zoro leaned his and Luffy’s body away. “Drop it,” he said and readjusted Luffy.

“No!” Amelia yelled back. The blood trickled down her arm and dripped off her elbow, landing on Zoro’s face and chest. _“I need you to die!”_ she hissed while her arm slid further down Wado’s blade. Zoro was sure her eyelids would soon be incapable of holding her eyes inside her skull. Her lips were pulled tight over her teeth in a wicked, maniacal grin that would certainly have turned Usopp’s hair white. 

Behind the woman, Zoro saw Sanji reappear waving a straw hat. He blinked the blood away and shook the sweat from his hair. “Guess I gotta cut this short, lady,” Zoro said sadly, genuinely upset he couldn’t bring out the woman’s full potential. He was so very bored since waking from his coma and this was his first battle since then. In a flick, he sliced through Amelia’s arm and caught Kitetsu when she dropped it.

Zoro quickly put the cursed sword back in its scabbard. Over his shoulder, Luffy groaned, slowly regaining consciousness from falling into the sea. Zoro knew he didn’t have much time before he flailed out of his hold and caused him to get stabbed. He had to end this now. Wado stuck through Amelia’s other forearm to still it, this time causing her to immediately drop it lest he cut _that_ arm open, as well. “Sorry,” he said and grabbed Shusui before it slid under the waves. All three swords were tucked into their sheaths, his captain was saved, and Sanji had his hat.

 _And Sanji is fine,_ Zoro thought. Finally. All back to normal.

“WAIT!” Amelia called after Zoro when he began to leave. The swordsman stopped to see what she wanted. “I want that sword. It felt good to hold it. Let me have it.”

A smirk curled its way onto Zoro’s lips. “You’d die by the end of the day if you held it any longer.” He jumped over a few pieces of floating wood to make his way towards the Shark Submerge, Sanji cutting him off.

“Here, I’ll take him back,” Sanji said and held his arms out. While Zoro gently handed Luffy over to him, he took a glance at the woman Zoro had been fighting to see if she was okay. Both arms were painted red but she was standing….and coming this way at an alarmingly fast pace. Sanji tried side-stepping out of her path but Zoro’s finger was caught in Luffy’s belt loop. The two fumbled forward together but managed to dodge the tackle.

Amelia was already on her second round of attacking, Sanji set in her sights as he was the closest. Zoro jumped between them and slashed Wado Ichimonji across her chest just as Mihawk did to him so long ago. “Don’t _fucking_ touch him,” Zoro said through gritted teeth, looking down his nose at the woman as she dropped to her knees. She clutched the gash trying to hold the pain and blood in but it eventually was too much and fell unconscious.

Sanji bit his lip to prevent him from saying anything. Whether he could have evaded the woman or not didn’t matter because what happened, happened. He took a deep breath and wished he had a smoke between his teeth. “See you on Sunny,” he said quietly and launched into the sky.

___

“That was fun, don’tcha think, Zoro?” Luffy laughed next to him on the infirmary bed. Zoro couldn’t help but smile. He nodded and slapped Luffy’s back a few times.

“You’re too reckless! What if you had gotten seriously hurt?” Chopper reprimanded.

“Uh, which one of us are you talking to?” Zoro asked. As much as he loathed to admit it, he knew he and Luffy were pretty careless with their own lives. The doctor could very well be talking to either one of them.

“BOTH! BAKA!” Chopper squeaked and bonked Zoro over the head with his clipboard. “But you both can leave. I didn’t find any injuries. Looks like all the blood wasn’t yours.”

Zoro scratched the back of his head. “I told you it wasn’t mine,” he grumbled and stood to leave, dragging a laughing captain with him. “C’mon idiot. Let’s get cleaned up.”

Trying to make a break for it, Luffy began wiggling and flailing. “No, no! I didn’t get any blood on me!” he cried. Zoro growled and pulled on his torso but Luffy had a firm grip on the frame of the door. “Noooo!!!”

“Leggo, you motherfucker!”

“NO!”

“ARGHH!” Zoro pulled as hard as he could but it only resulted in Luffy’s body stretching even further. “Fine!” he said, giving up and releasing Luffy’s body so it could _snap_ back into place. “M’not on Luffy duty tonight anyway.” 

___

After grabbing a pair of clean pants, Zoro headed to the bathroom. Inside, Sanji was getting undressed. Zoro looked the blonde up and down and quirked an eyebrow at him. “How’d you know I’d be in here?” he asked.

Sanji pursed his lips into a thin line. “I take a bath _every_ night.”

Thinking about it, Zoro realized he had a point. He wouldn’t comment that Sanji was in the right, deciding to say nothing instead. Before Sanji could even sit, Zoro was naked and behind him, arms wrapped around his trimmed waist. “You mad at me?” he murmured. Sanji froze in place, his body going rigid as Zoro placed a soft kiss on the back of his neck.

“No,” Sanji finally answered, swatting the mold away. “I know you and I don’t share the same morals when it comes to women.” Zoro guided both of them onto their stools and pulled Sanji’s closer to sit in front of him. He stuck his hand out, gesturing for the soap and sponge. “Shouldn’t you clean up first? You’re covered in that woman’s blood.”

Zoro sighed and rested his chin over Sanji’s shoulder. “Name’s Amelia. She wasn’t allowed to use swords, apparently,” Zoro said.

Turning halfway around, Sanji asked, “How do you know that?”

“Cause we spoke while we fought. I wanted to duel’er, not kill’er.”

Sanji faced forward and felt Zoro lean his chest against him and push his face into his wavy hair. “Then why’d you...you know,” Sanji said quietly and made a diagonal motion in front of him, mimicking Zoro’s trademark scar. 

“I didn’t know what you’d do if she came at you,” Zoro said. His hand reached out again, this time more insistently, for the soap. Sanji handed the stuff over, including the showerhead. As Zoro wet Sanji’s hair and rubbed his scalp, he continued. “Just wanted to leave no room for error. Not this time. Not when I could prevent it.”

Sanji was quiet because he could understand. The two of them held their similarities but also had plenty of differences. They dealt with things in their _own way_. The chef knew he had to keep that in mind. He also had to give Zoro credit when he deserved it. “Thanks for not killing her.” Hot breath tickled the back of his neck as Zoro let out a soft chuckle.

“Told you I didn’t wanna kill’er. Just wanted to play a little.” When Sanji mumbled his acknowledgment, Zoro pulled back on his shoulders to lean Sanji against him. As he rubbed the loofah in circles creating a thick lather of suds over his front, Zoro’s low voice said into Sanji’s ear, “But I would’ve killed’er if she had managed to touch you.”

Sanji shivered. He didn’t need the man to add that last bit in there because it was an already known fact, something Sanji had always known since he was a child. Zoro wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone if his _nakama_ were in any danger, he had proven that time and time again. Though, no matter how many times it was demonstrated, it still sent a chill through his body when Zoro would admit it out loud. “I know.”

For the remaining time Zoro washed and rinsed Sanji, they stayed in comfortable silence. Sanji let his partner do as he pleased and even when he offered to return the favor, Zoro shook his head and sent him into the steaming tub. Sanji smoked a cigarette while he watched Zoro scrub the blood from his face and pick out the dried flakes that managed to get wedged between the bumps in his scar. By the time Zoro has rinsed all the suds away and was freshly clean, Sanji had another cig lit up and halfway smoked.

Zoro settled into the spacious tub across from the blonde, leaning his head back on the edge. Sanji let his eyes roam across his tanned chest, admiring the muscles he worked so hard for. With a smirk, Sanji blew out a plume of smoke above them and propped his feet over Zoro’s thigh.

“Oi, oi, watch it,” Zoro said, wincing in fear he’d get a heel to the crotch. When he was sure Sanji wasn’t going to damage anything, he settled back down. One arm hung over the side, messing with a small puddle on the lip of the tub, the other playfully massaged Sanji’s toes.

Zoro wondered what they would have been like if they had done this type of stuff earlier in their relationship. If this were two years ago - shit, even a few _months_ ago - Sanji would have his foot mushed into the side of his face, scraping the skin off because Zoro was too close. Or, Zoro would have Sanji’s arm bent behind his back as he held his head under the water because his curly attitude pissed him off for the last time.

But here they were, peacefully resting together in the bath. They sighed as the hot water relaxed their muscles. Zoro even felt a little sleepy. As he thumbed over the arch in Sanji’s foot, he could feel his eyelid growing too heavy to hold up. A few minutes of shut-eye wouldn’t hurt... 

In a jolt, Zoro sat up. Sanji took the cigarette from his lips and held it away from the water. “You okay?” he asked, flicking the ash. Zoro’s good eye stared hard, his steely gaze locked onto him. Even under all the moss in his brain, Sanji could see the wheels turning, his mind onto something. Zoro opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated, snapping his jaw closed. The wheels worked overtime to get a sentence out.

“Will you tell me about this?” Zoro asked quietly. Sanji felt Zoro feeling over his scarred foot. The feeling was minimal, but it was enough he knew what he meant. It was attached to a memory so far away, from a different time. Zoro squeezed his foot. “Please?”

“Why?” was all Sanji could say, looking away. The swordsman was boring a hole into the side of his face and he couldn’t handle the pressure much longer.

“I wanna know.”

Of course that was the reason, but it didn’t make it any easier for Sanji to give in. He was having a nice time unwinding in the bath together, surely Zoro didn’t want to be burdened with a shitty story like _that_ one. “I don’t remember,” he lied and waved his cigarette around. “Probably stepped on something stupid.”

“Sanji.”

The blonde returned his gaze to meet Zoro’s. He was making that _serious_ face, the one where low-life pirates or weak marines would shit themselves if their eyes locked onto Zoro’s. It wasn’t meant to scare Sanji into telling him. It was meant to say, _‘Why can’t you tell me? You don’t need to lie.’_ The blonde winced. _“Why?”_ he repeated with a whine.

“I need to know.”

Another cigarette would help. Shaking, the Sunny’s chef lifted his body to reach for his pack on the floor. He stayed leaning over the side as he flicked his lighter a few times, only producing sparks. He swore under his breath until the flame ignited. Sanji sucked hard, pulling in a lungful of smoke and held it until he settled back into the water. The bathroom was becoming hazy, though Zoro never mentioned it. “You already know, right? That’s why you won’t let this go?”

“Yeah.”

“Right,” Sanji said and pulled his foot away from the other to cross his legs under himself. His back slouched as he leaned forward, looking into the clear water. The ever-moving image of his feet at the bottom of the tub were wavy and distorted, just like the skin of his right foot. Absentmindedly, he rubbed it. “I...got this when I lived with my birth family.” Zoro already knew that much but he didn’t interrupt. Sanji was hesitant to move on. His chest felt too tight. “It was a few days after my sixth birthday…”

… 

_Sanji: Age 6, Germa Kingdom_

The loud mix of crickets and heat bugs singing their nightly songs woke Sanji with a start. He looked around the darkness in a panic, forgetting where he was. When he realized he was safe, he relaxed the tension in his body and sat up, dusting the sand from his cheek and arm. 

It had been a few days since he’d been back in the castle. Sanji knew the moment he stepped foot onto the cold, hard stone of the palace, he’d be surrounded by his identical siblings. It was practically a full-time job to physically and mentally prepare himself for their surprise attacks. But he was cutting it close, three days was the longest he had stayed out - he knew he had to go back tonight. He had to or it would only be worse for him later...

Gathering his things up, Sanji packed away the plates and utensils he had brought out to share with the forest animals. He promised them a cake, you know! And he never went back on his word. The night of his sixth birthday, he snuck out of his window and came to this clearing where he said he’d meet them. They were overjoyed when they saw the huge cake, Sanji lugging it behind him on a small litter he had borrowed from the servant’s quarters. It took all three days to finish the whole thing!

Sanji giggled to himself as he looked at the raccoon to his left laying on its back, still with a protruding tummy. To his right were a pile of chipmunks, all as round as an orange with smiles on their faces. The birds had gone back to their nests earlier but they thanked him by tweeting songs while they ate and danced around the fire. It was the best birthday he could have asked for! If only his dad had let him see his mom, then it would have been perfect.

Shaking that sad thought away to not ruin what little happiness he had, Sanji continued cleaning up. Luckily, none of the animals laid on the blanket that he brought, allowing him to shake it out and fold it up before stuffing it into his pack. He’d have to come back tomorrow for the litter, it’d be next to impossible to drag it over the gnarly roots of trees on the path in the dark. Sanji sighed as he looked around, squinting his eyes to see if he missed anything. 

The campfire was all dimly lit coals by now, no food was left to take back, and everything else was on his back. _Okay, I think I’m good to go,_ Sanji thought to himself. He whispered goodbye and before turning around, he saw the animals suddenly perk up, their ears twitching. He felt bad he woke them but didn’t want to be rude and say _nothing_ before leaving! 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you!” Sanji apologized. He held his hands up to calm them down in hopes they’d fall back asleep.

The chipmunks squeaked and bolted in every direction while the raccoon hobbled away as fast as it could with its tummy dragging across the dirt.

“Wait! I said I was sorry! You can go back to sleep!” Sanji called after them. 

Alone, now. Which was fine. He was always alone.

Behind him, a twig snapped. Sanji whipped around with a smile, ready to throw another apology at a chipmunk but the words never managed to come out. Instead of a furry friend standing at the edge of the clearing, it was his three brothers.

Ichigi.

Niji.

Yonji.

_No…_

_Please...no…_

Sanji took a step backward while shaking his head back and forth.

_No, no, this was supposed to be my hiding place. My place where they couldn’t find me._

Tears already forming and rolling down his cheeks, Sanji closed his eyes to brace himself for whatever was coming next. Would it be punches to the gut this time? Pulling his hair until his throat went hoarse, screaming for them to stop? Kicks to the face or maybe his back while he curled in the fetal position on the ground? Maybe all three? That was just as likely. It was _more_ likely. Their antics were so unpredictable to keep their favorite punching bag on his toes.

“Heyyy, there you are!” Yonji sneered, breaking away from the other two. “I thought I smelled an idiot!”

Niji laughed, holding his stomach. 

Ichigi gave a wicked grin. “What were you doing out here for so long, Sanji? You didn’t come to our birthday celebration,” he said, feigning a hurt voice. 

Sanji looked around to double-check all his friends had made it away safely. Once he was sure everyone was out of sight, he answered. “I-I didn’t want to go. I wanted to see mom.”

Yonji scoffed. “You _always_ want to see mom. She’s sick! Leave her alone!”

“You should have come, Sanji. Dad got you a present,” Niji said. He walked around Yonji and Sanji saw he had his arm behind his back. For the past few years, Judge Vinsmoke didn’t bother giving his _failure_ of a son a birthday gift. It was possible he could have forgotten, though, seeing as how Sanji made himself scarce around the castle. So, maybe this year…?

“Really?! Did he, really?!” Sanji asked, perking up. His eyes formed into little crescents as his smile grew too large for his face.

“No!” All three of Sanji’s brothers said in unison, then burst into laughter.

“What, in all of the North Blue, would make you think dad got you something?!” Ichigi snapped, offended Sanji would fall for something so preposterous. 

“Stupid!”

“Loser!”

“Defect!”

“I’m sorry!” Sanji shouted as more tears fell. He didn’t even know why he was apologizing, yet he felt it was the right thing to do. Anything to put them in a better mood. Anything to avoid getting hurt.

The three brothers fanned out and surrounded Sanji. The blonde felt smaller than he already was under their penetrating and hateful stares. He wasn’t sure what they wanted from him this time. Why had they come all the way out here for him? He thought disappearing for their birthday was something they would _enjoy._ Wouldn’t that have been the best present he could have given them?

“But,” Yonji started. “We can show you what dad got _us.”_

The three boys laughed. It scared Sanji how in-tune they were with each other. Niji finally pulled his arm out from behind his back. Strapped over his arm was a metal device that went from his wrist to his elbow that looked to be made for someone much older, more responsible. The device was no doubt Germa technology but Sanji had never seen anything like it before. 

“I don’t want to know,” Sanji whispered and took another step backward, bumping against Ichigi.

“Don’t be a baby, ya baby.”

Sanji tried to still his wobbling knees but didn’t succeed. With the weight of his backpack and his anxiety growing, his legs couldn’t hold him up any longer. He buckled. Ichigi and Yonji pulled him up and held him under his armpits. “Don’t worry, brother, we got ya.”

The forest was completely silent while Niji messed around on the tech device. The crickets stopped singing, the owls stopped hooting, and even the wind had stopped blowing through the trees. Everything ceased its nightly routine, holding its breath as they watched what would happen to the blonde Vinsmoke.

One last _beep_ sounded from the arm-device, then it clicked into place. “There we go!” Niji said. Ichigi and Yonji howled in his ear, then shoved him away, putting plenty of space between them. Sanji knew something was _terribly wrong_ because of that, especially with the maniacal expression Niji wore when he raised his arm and pointed it right at Sanji.

 _Help me,_ Sanji pleaded in his head, knowing it was useless. Even if he screamed for help at the top of his lungs, no one would come. Whatever was about to happen to him...there was no stopping it.

 _Help me,_ Sanji thought. His lip trembled despite how hard he wished it wouldn’t. It wasn’t a secret he was weaker than his brothers, but that didn’t mean he wanted to give in to that weakness. He _tried_ to be strong, he really did. 

But Ichigi, Niji, and Yonji were stronger.

…

Sanji sat up, slightly surprised to see he had slouched forward so far his cigarette dipped into the tub water. It was soggy up to the filter. “Oh,” he chuckled under his breath, blowing air through his nose. “One sec,” he told Zoro and got a new cig to smoke to finish the story. He hadn’t talked about this to anyone _ever_ so it felt weird to be saying the details out loud. 

When he returned facing forward, he chanced a glance at Zoro. He had one hand covering his face and the other was gripping the side of the tub, knuckles sheet-white. Sanji wasn’t sure what type of reaction that was but his partner made no move or mention to stop him, so he continued.

…

From a small opening at the front of the device, just over Niji’s hand, a bright orange flame sprouted. It burst forward with such force it sent Niji back a few steps causing him to cackle in excitement.

Sanji turned around as quickly as he could to use his pack as a shield knowing his legs were not nearly fast enough to get him away in time. As Niji kept the flame going, Sanji felt his backpack catch fire. He screamed in terror and flung the bag off. 

The blonde jumped away from the growing fire, tripping on his foot and falling on his bottom. His normally pale face was glowing yellow, the flames reflecting in his fear-stricken eyes. Sanji rolled over and got to his feet in an attempt to escape his deranged brothers. It was useless, but at least he could say he tried.

In a flash, Ichigi and Yonji were back on him, each grabbing a hand and pulling him around.

“Please, I’m scared!” Sanji cried out, kicking in every which way to shake himself loose.

 _“We know,”_ Ichigi said close to his ear. 

The blue-haired boy was busy spinning in a circle as the flames shot out in a straight line, catching the litter nearby on fire and the small pile of wood Sanji had gathered the first night he stayed out there. When there wasn’t anything else around him, Niji pointed his arm up and caught the trees on fire, their leaves bursting into flame immediately. 

In no time, the temperature had drastically increased. Thick, black smoke swelled in angry waves, consuming every ounce of fresh air. The wood crackled and popped loudly and the flame’s low moans turned to vicious roars, hurting Sanji’s ears.

“Do you like our present, Sanji!?” Niji yelled over the disaster. “Aren’t we nice for sharing?!”

Yonji twisted Sanji’s arm behind his back and pulled up forcing Sanji to stand on the tips of his toes to ease some of the pain. “Well, Sanji? Aren’t we nice?” he asked.

“We’re nice brothers-”

“-to include the defect.”

“We’re nice brothers-”

“-to let you play with us.”

 _“Well,_ Sanji?” Ichigi and Yonji said in unison.

“WELL, SANJI?!!? _Do you like our present?!”_ Niji shrieked.

“NO!” Sanji screamed back and tried kicking out again as best he could. “Let me-” _cough, cough,_ “-go!” His lungs were beginning to burn.

The three brothers laughed, unaffected by the smoke around them. 

“Upsy-daisy!” Yonji said and he and Ichigi lifted Sanji off his feet to bring him towards the burning pile of wood. The flames were so tall they licked the bottom of the branches above and snaked their way higher up the tree.

Ichigi grabbed a fistful of Sanji’s hair at the back of his head and pushed him towards the fire. “This is part of our present, too! Don’t you like it?”

“Please don’t!” Sanji cried, except no tears were able to fall. The moment water formed at the edges of his eyes, they immediately evaporated from the overpowering heat. Sanji could feel the heavy wall of fire against his face, an invisible force warning him to not come any closer. His brother pressed him into that wave of heat, closer...and closer… “Please, I’ll do anything! Please let me go! I want to go back home, please, please, please!!!” 

With all his might, Sanji shook his body and broke loose from both his brother’s grasp and fell to the ground. He reached out to the earth, clawing at it in hopes to get further away from his death. Choking back his sobs, the dirt wedged beneath his nails and drove them backward as he scraped himself to safety.

 _Help me,_ Sanji repeated in his head. _Please, help me._

A shoe slammed his face into the ground. “Quit wigglin around!” Ichigi snapped. “We weren’t done.”

_Help me, someone...please._

Embers shot out and landed next to Sanji, rolling past him. When Ichigi leaned forward to pull Sanji’s head up by his hair, the blonde felt blood trickling from his nose and into his panting mouth. He saw Niji standing in front of him now, staring down his nose as if Sanji wasn’t even worth the neck movement.

“Ran out of fuel,” Niji told the other two boys. “Let’s get this over with.”

Niji and Yonji grabbed Sanji by his middle, yanking him over their shoulders. Ichigi stood behind them and caught Sanji’s flailing arms into his hold. 

Sanji screamed when he could feel his legs at the edge of the fire. Some of the flames reached out for him, sticking to his pant leg and burning its way through to sear his skin. Thrashing, kicking, pleading, crying, nothing helped.

“Stop moving!” Niji said as he almost toppled over. “Hold his feet!”

“I can’t while I got’m like this!” Yonji said to his brother but managed to grab Sanji’s right foot anyway. The three of them leaned in to force Sanji closer as their heat-resistant skin protected them. Sanji’s shoe caught fire, igniting Yonji’s sleeve in the mix, as well. “Ah!” he yelled and flung his arm around to put it out. 

The shoe rapidly became too hot to bear, it boiling Sanji’s foot. “AHH, IT BURNS! IT BURNS, PLEASE!!” Sanji bawled. To prevent it from gluing itself to his skin, he kicked it off.

“It’s supposed to burn, it’s _fire,_ you dimwit!” Ichigi mocked as he readjusted his hold over Sanji’s wrists. “Do it again!” 

Yonji put the fire out on his sleeve and went back to grabbing Sanji’s foot and forcing it inside the flames straight away. The blonde’s screams echoed through the forest, drowned out by the roaring fire. He could feel his skin boiling, bubbles expanding and popping against the heat’s pressure. The boys took a step forward to push Sanji completely into the fire-

…

Sanji stopped talking at the sound of porcelain cracking. Zoro had snapped part of the side of the tub clean off in anger. His chest heaved up and down and his teeth ground together.

“What?” Sanji asked with furrowed brows. He squeezed the cigarette butt between his fingers to extinguish the cherry and set it aside. “Nami-san and Franky are going to have your head for that, you know.”

 _“What happened next?”_ Zoro demanded through his gritted teeth.

Sanji stared at him once he understood the story had upset him. “My sister came looking for the others. She knew if all four of us were missing, she only had a matter of time before they did something irreversible to me,” he said with a shrug. “It was only my foot.”

Zoro slapped his hands over his face and clawed downward. “They were trying to fucking _kill you,_ Sanji!”

“I know.”

“If you know, then how can you tell me this so _casually?!”_

Heaving a sigh, Sanji leaned against the tub and picked at his nails for something to do. “Because it was fifteen years ago, Zoro. That place, including those people, are no longer a part of me.”

Zoro sat forward, his knees sticking out of the water. He rested his arms and chin over them and stared downward. Neither one of them said anything.

Outside the bathroom, Brook’s violin could be heard along with Usopp’s shrill voice going up and down as he told his tall tales. It wouldn’t be long before Luffy was bursting through the door to beg Sanji for dinner. 

The dripping of the faucet next to Zoro and Sanji seemed almost deafening in comparison to the silence between them. Zoro couldn’t trust himself to speak without screaming how much he wanted Sanji’s brothers to die. He wanted to shake the damn curly idiot until he told him where they were so he could kill them himself. Witness the life leave their eyes as they breathed their last breath.

But he didn’t. Zoro continued holding his knees until he was sure he had himself under control. Once he knew he was capable of speaking on the same level as Sanji, he simply told him, “You amaze me.”

Sanji scoffed. Both eyes rolled to the ceiling and he splashed water into Zoro’s face. The swordsman didn’t flinch or react in any way. Sanji watched the droplets roll down his face and onto his arms. “As much as I appreciate the compliment...I can’t see how it fits into this situation.”

“Hearing that story, no one would blame you if you were traumatized, especially around a fire,” Zoro said slowly to keep his rage in check. “But I’ve seen you around fire, we all have.”

“Oh, don’t let me fool you,” Sanji started with a light laugh. “I was for weeks...but it soon faded, just like everything else. If I had let their antics affect me permanently, I’d have died of fright a long time ago.” He gave another chuckle before adding, “I mean, what kind of cook would I be if I was afraid of fire, right?”

Zoro grunted an agreement, though not seeing how this was humorous at all. He truly felt Sanji was taking this all too lightly, but he also had a point; it happened over a decade ago and he’s had plenty of time to recover from it. He took deep breaths to calm the rest of his anger.

“I love you,” Zoro admitted, surprising even himself from the outburst. 

Sanji’s face went red. “W-why did you say that out of nowhere?”

A wave of water was sent toward Sanji as Zoro stood and offered a hand out to the blonde. “It ain't out of nowhere,” he said and pulled Sanji up. Once he was on his feet, Zoro grabbed his face to plant his lips against the other’s. Releasing him, Zoro said, “Your strength amazes me and I honestly don’t know how I didn’t see that I loved you sooner.” 

To avoid looking at Zoro, Sanji buried his face into the crook of his neck. His face was burning with embarrassment and happiness. They held each other, relishing in each other’s warmth until a tingle at the back of their head made them separate and hurriedly cup their junk for protection.

The bathroom door burst open and Luffy tumbled in. “Foooooddddddd!” he shouted, running around. “Oh, Zoro, what did you do?” he asked, looking at the chunks of porcelain splayed out on the floor next to the tub. Getting dried off and clothed, Zoro asked Luffy how he knew it was him that damaged the tub when Sanji was just as capable as him. Luffy stopped whining and pulling on Sanji’s arm to cock his head at his First Mate. “Heh?” he asked. “Cause Nami’s gonna be real mad when she sees that - Sanji wouldn’t make’er mad like you would!”

Zoro frowned. Sanji smiled.

___

The kitchen was hot as Sanji fried up some fish in a huge wok. Around his waist had rubber arms wound around three times, the rest of Luffy’s body melted on the floor while he moaned for food. Zoro sat at the bar watching them. His right hand fingered over the _Santoryu_ carving Kid-Sanji had made, wondering why Franky never sanded it down but glad he didn’t.

Listening to Sanji’s memory of his kid-self made Zoro ache to be there for him again. That time travel mix-up was done and over with, but the swordsman had to admit to himself he missed Sanji’s squealing laughter as Robin tickled him. He was a nice kid, too. He really wouldn’t have minded raising him and even caught himself thinking of the _what-ifs_ every now and then.

If that had happened, though, he wouldn’t have ever been able to be with Sanji like he was now. Since seeing the stupid love-cook had grown into a perfectly normal human despite all the horrible trauma he experienced, Zoro was glad Luffy had stopped him that day. Luffy was right. If Sanji made it to them once, he could do it again - and _he did._ Zoro sighed with a lazy grin on his face as Sanji bonked their captain over his head for trying to sneak a chunk of fish from the basket.

“Would you go sit down, shit-head?! Give me five more minutes!” Sanji shouted, peeling Luffy away from him. “Go grab the rest of the crew.”

“C’mon, Luf,” Zoro said, getting to his feet and coming to the cook’s rescue. A tanned hand grabbed Luffy by his collar to drag him away, giving Sanji a few moment’s peace.

By the time everyone had sat down at the table in their spots, Sanji was setting plates down for Franky to pass out and balancing a huge platter to hold their dinner. He scooched between the table and bar to get by, making a pit stop to hand over a bowl of plain, white rice for Zoro. When he leaned down, he was sure to kiss his cheek before he headed over to his side of the table. 

Fish was stolen off plates, rice was snorted up noses from obnoxious laughter, cola was accidentally sprayed everywhere when the can opened, and there was arguing left and right about who owes who money or whose turn it was on watch duty tonight. And not a single piece of food was wasted. Dinner was absolutely perfect.

Under the table, Zoro felt Sanji’s long leg rub against his. When he turned his attention to the blonde, he was staring at him with a small smile that pulled Zoro’s heartstrings in just the right way that he couldn’t swallow his mouthful of sake. 

After confronting the crew about their relationship, Zoro felt like what they had between them was less of a competition, at least in the romantic sense. The feeling of Sanji rubbing up his pant leg didn’t make him want to do it back more aggressively or launch over the table to start a fight, but it did make him feel…something.

 _He feels like home,_ Zoro thought, ignoring Luffy screaming in his face while Usopp shot something onto Zoro’s head. The three youngest member’s cackling went unheard as Zoro continued to stare at Sanji. Golden bangs were tossed aside so the chef could see again, his fringe covering his face when he held his belly to laugh at whatever was stuck in Zoro’s hair. The swordsman wished he could reach over and move his bangs the rest of the way so both blue eyes were visible. Zoro shook his head to himself, trying to hide a smile as he thought, _yeah, I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. I have been in love with this idiot for so, so long._

___

Before Zoro could leave the galley, Sanji called after him. “Hm?” he asked and saw Sanji was elbow-deep in dishwater. “Need help er somethin?”

“No, not at all. I just wanted to tell you I’ll come visit you on your shift.”

Nodding, Zoro grunted his acknowledgment and closed the door behind him. His shift didn’t start until everyone had gone to bed, which made him wonder why Sanji told him that. _Couldn’t he have told me when he came out to sit around the fire?_

When Sanji did eventually join everyone once the kitchen was spotless, he sat next to Robin instead of him. The way he leaned over to talk into her ear made him suspicious. It wasn’t the fact Sanji was speaking to the woman at all, it was the _way_ he did it that bothered Zoro. There were no heart-eyes, no twirly hand gestures, and he kept his voice to a whisper. _He’s definitely up to something._

For the remainder of the night, Sanji stayed with Robin. Occasionally, one of the two would whisper some shit to the other while the rest of the crew laughed at something. It was clear they were having their own private conversation, about what, Zoro did not know. _What else is there to talk about with her? We’ve already been over all the lovey-dovey shit, we don’t need her meddling anymore._

Zoro wasn’t irritated with Sanji for choosing to sit next to Robin and not him, but he did have to admit it had him very curious. At least he had Chopper with him. The reindeer was sitting over his crossed legs, leaning against his torso with a lazy smile.

Zoro had taken Chopper’s hat off and was absentmindedly scruffing his fingers through the doctor’s fur on his head while he watched over everyone else. It didn’t take long for Chopper’s participation in the conversations to fade out as he was overcome by sleep. An almost guarantee to put the kid to sleep was to scratch at the back of his neck while rubbing an ear between two fingers.

The night ended and eventually everyone headed for bed. Zoro handed Chopper off to Usopp so he could make his way up to the Crow’s Nest. He expected Sanji to come with him since he had gone out of his way to say he would keep him company, but the man avoided eye contact and went straight to the bunkroom. With a shrug, Zoro went without him.

___

It wasn’t until hours later when the hatch opened and Sanji popped inside, bringing the smell of cigarettes and cologne with him.

“Thought you changed yer mind,” Zoro said as he raised the dumbbell for the six-hundredth time.

“I had to wait until everyone was asleep, you idiot,” Sanji sneered with a roll of his eyes. 

Zoro rested the dumbbell on his thigh and cocked his head. “Why?” he asked. “And why you smell all fancy if you were in bed?”

Sanji stopped in front of Zoro on the bench with crossed arms. There was a light dusting of pink across his cheeks but Zoro didn’t notice. “Are you serious?”

“Serious about what?!” Zoro spat. “Go away if yer gonna be annoying, Curly, I’m trying to concentrate.” The blonde watched Zoro continue pumping the weight and when it didn’t _click_ for him, he began tapping his bare foot on the mat. Zoro huffed and set the weight on the floor. “What is it now?”

A leg lifted into the air to slam over Zoro’s head. The swordsman caught Sanji’s ankle in his wrist and stood up, pushing the limb upward as he leaned into Sanji’s face. The leg was pressed against Sanji’s shoulder, parallel to his body. “You’re pretty flexible, huh?” Zoro said, breaking eye-contact and tracing up the long, slender leg he held. “You bend easily.”

Sanji remembered the _first time_ around Zoro had said that to him and thought he was flirting, which he wasn’t, which meant right now he was also _not_ flirting. Which also _**also** _meant Zoro had no fucking clue as to why Sanji had told him he’d meet him up here. “You are the dumbest house plant, I swear.”

“Hah?” Zoro said and pushed Sanji away. “You wanna fight er something? I’m tryin to train while I got the peace,” he said and gestured towards the wooden bench. Zoro squared up when Sanji pulled off his t-shirt and flung it across the room but loosened his stance when Sanji didn’t raise a leg. Instead of lurching forward ready to begin a match, Sanji slowly walked towards him, one arm outstretched.

Zoro was pushed back a few steps until his legs met the edge of the bench, then Sanji forced him down to sit. The swordsman knew this wasn’t going to end up in a fight because Sanji was touching him with his hands instead of his feet, but that didn’t mean he had any more of an idea of what the hell was going through that curly brain of his. 

Sanji joined him on the bench, lifting one of his legs over to straddle it, flicking his head for Zoro to do the same. They faced each other in silence, Zoro staying patient while Sanji eyed the sweat trickling down his chest.

“You weren’t lying when you said you’re inexperienced,” Sanji said, his voice low and serious. “I came up here because I want to have sex with you.”

Zoro flinched backward. “What?!” He yipped, face turning cherry red. 

A small smile formed over Sanji’s lips at the man’s reaction but he knew his face was just as red because he could feel how warm his cheeks were getting. “I said I wanna have s-”

“I heard you!” Zoro cut him off and slapped a hand over his face to cover at least _some_ of his embarrassment. Peeking through his fingers, he saw Sanji scoot closer to him and then felt their knees touch. “You wanna...right _now?”_

Sanji slowly nodded. “I’ve been waiting for this moment since you confessed to me...and...I’ve...thought of you many times long before that,” he added shyly, looking to the floor. “I want you, Zoro.”

Unsure of what to do next, Zoro set his hands over his knees, rubbing his palms against his pants to rid the sweat that had suddenly formed. “Uh, well alright,” he finally said and glanced at his trench coat on the floor next to his swords. 

Following his gaze, Sanji clicked his tongue, “Oh my god, it’s still in your coat?! You didn’t even put it somewhere safe? What if it fell out somewhere on the ship?!”

“I know, I know!” Zoro admitted, raising his hands in front of him. He knew he should have taken care of the bottle of lube in case someone found it. Knowing how invasive his captain was, it was a miracle he didn’t stumble upon it. In the hopes Sanji would understand, he didn’t try to defend himself. It was then the chef grabbed Zoro’s hands to hold in his own for a beat, then guided them to his face. Sanji let go and Zoro cupped the man’s cheeks, lightly pulling to meet him halfway to connect their lips.

They casually, but passionately, kissed. It didn’t take very long for Zoro to feel Sanji licking his bottom lip, wanting to insert it inside his mouth. He let out a breathy laugh and pulled away. The blonde turned his eyebrows up at him in a silent question of, _‘why did you stop?’_

“Eager, aren’t you? Ya damn hornball.”

“Yeah,” Sanji admitted, not taking the bait Zoro cast out. He grabbed Zoro’s thighs and sat up to get in his face. “I’m very eager.” 

To slow the horny bastard down, Zoro gently shifted gold bangs to the side to reveal a second curly eyebrow and tucked it behind the man’s ear. The delicate gesture stopped Sanji in his tracks causing him to blink in wonder. Zoro then traced his jawline until his thumb came in contact with his bottom lip. He rubbed over it until Sanji’s jaw relaxed, his lips slightly parting to let a breath of air out. The swordsman took this opportunity to slip his thumb inside and lock Sanji’s tongue in place. Feeling that competitive pull surge through him again, Zoro grinned devilishly as he said, “Take off yer pants then.”

A shiver ran up Zoro’s spine when Sanji quickly stood and yanked his shorts and underwear off without having to be told a second time. If this were any other situation, the two of them would be at each other’s throats, arguing about someone giving orders and being bossy. But right now, Sanji was playing along very obediently. Zoro mentally took the win for this round.

“Take yours off, too,” Sanji bashfully said.

Smiling, Zoro stood and placed his fingers over the button to his pants. “Beg me,” he said, turning Sanji’s words against him. The blonde’s jaw dropped, practically slamming against the bench with disbelief. When Sanji made no effort to make words come out, Zoro gave a dismissive shrug and sat back down. “Fine, suit yourself.”

“No, wait!” Sanji said, placing his hands to Zoro’s hips in an attempt to stop him. “I can’t be the only one naked, you asshole! How else can we do it if you have your clothes on?!”

Zoro looked around the room feigning disinterest. He set a boot atop the bench and rested his arm over it, bending towards Sanji’s face. “I said, _‘beg me.’”_

Sanji’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed back the lump that formed in his throat. Zoro thought he looked like he was truly debating on whether or not he would beg, but then the man crossed his arms and looked away in a pout. “No.”

“Guess you ain't gettin any of this, then,” Zoro said and sat the rest of the way down, twisting to the side to grab Sanji’s boxer briefs. “You’re gonna need these.”

The underwear landed with a soft _plop_ over Sanji’s face making him angrily yank them off. “Take off your _fucking_ clothes, dipshit,” Sanji said through his gritted teeth.

“Don’t sound like beggin to me.”

Sanji looked like he was on the verge of snapping back at him, but he hesitated and in Zoro’s peripheral, he saw his legs twitch together, squeezing the bench between them. He was so transparent. To move this along a little faster, the swordsman stretched his arms over his head for an exaggerated yawn, tightening his abs for his partner. Again, Sanji gripped the bench with his legs. Zoro tried to avoid looking at his erection to keep up the act or he knew he’d give in. 

“Come on, Shit-head. Don’t be like this. Please take off your pants for me?”

Zoro stood and returned his fingers to his pants. “You’re getting closer,” he taunted, and undid the button and pulled on the zipper, watching blue eyes follow it the entire way down. “You can do better’n that, Sanji.”

At the mention of his name, all of the chef’s fight left him. “Zoro, _please_ take off your damn clothes. I don’t want to be the only vulnerable one here!” The swordsman stayed stone-still, grinning down at the other. Sanji reached forward for Zoro’s waist. “Please, Zoro! Please do this with me, you’re killing me,” he asked desperately, pawing at him causing his hair to fall back over his eye. 

Smiling, Zoro checked that off as a _second_ win. Shimmying out of his clothes and boots, Zoro returned to straddling the bench, then pulled Sanji forward, yanking his legs to rest over his thighs. Sanji sucked in a breath and fell back onto his hands.

“Don’t be a dickhead,” Sanji started and jerked a leg from Zoro’s grasp to press it against his tanned chest. “You think you’re gonna be in control this whole time? Think again, buddy.”

“Hah?!” Zoro replied, losing his calm demeanor. It was so easy to fall back into their familiar, argumentative pace. “You ain't gonna man-handle me if that’s what yer thinkin.”

Sanji sat up and moved so they were back in their first positions, knees touching. “What do you mean?” he asked. Zoro watched his eyes dart to his sleep shorts so he gave him a nod of approval, letting him grab a cigarette. He quickly sparked up and blew the smoke into Zoro’s face. “Are we, uh, talking about the same thing?”

Zoro let his eye wander from Sanji’s face to his abs, down to his cock, and back up again. “I dunno,” Zoro mumbled and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. It was obvious the two of them were dancing around the same subject, both knowing damn well what the other meant. “What did...uh, how did you want to do this?”

Sanji flicked an ash behind him and rolled his eyes. “Isn’t it obvious?” Zoro shook his head, waiting for Sanji to tell him. The blonde pointed to the center of the room with his cigarette and said, “I’m going to lay you over there and make love to you.”

Raising his eyebrows to his hairline, Zoro said, “You think yer gonna stick yer dick in my ass? Not happenin, Curly.”

Sanji bent forward in a laugh, smoke sputtering out as he did so. As he straightened, he took another long drag on his cig. “And you think _you’re_ going to have _me_ instead?! In what world did you think that was possible? The strongest should take that role, idiot, and it ain’t you.”

Even though Sanji wore a playful smile, Zoro knew the man was dead serious. “I’m sorry, I think I got too dizzy staring at that hypno-brow of yours. Did you just say you were stronger than me?” Sanji’s grin widened. Zoro sighed. “Look, if neither of us is willing to give in, then how is this gonna work? One of us has to yield.”

While Sanji smoked the rest of his cigarette down, the two stared at each other, internally thinking of a solution to this increasingly awkward situation. Once Sanji had placed the butt back in his pack of smokes, he twitched his mouth side to side and said, “Okay, I’ve got an idea. What if we mess around with each other and see who likes it better? That way the decision won’t be based on power, but pleasure instead.”

Thinking it over, Zoro had to agree it sounded right. As much as he didn’t want a finger in his ass at _all,_ he did have to admit he never tried it so he couldn’t for sure know - at least that’s what he told himself to get through this. And if Sanji specifically said it wasn’t about power...maybe it wouldn’t be too bad to let his guard down around him. “Alright, so what did you have in mind?”

“We put one leg over the other’s shoulder so we can reach each other,” Sanji said and moved to do so.

“W-what?! Over _the shoulder?”_ Zoro asked in surprise. “I can’t put my fuckin leg up that high, idiot! I actually have _bones_ in my body!”

Sanji made a face. “It’s not that high! Stop being a brat. Give me your leg, I’ll help,” he said and gestured for Zoro to lift up. The green-haired man growled and cursed under his breath but obliged, handing over his left leg. Sanji grabbed his perfectly sculpted calf and slowly raised it but Zoro began to wince once his ankle was at his ear. “Seriously? Don’t you stretch at all!?”

“Not into a damn pretzel, I don’t! I can’t do the splits forty times in a row, either! Yer a bendy freak - _I’m_ the normal one here!”

“Ugh! Fine, just leave it here, then,” Sanji said and set Zoro’s foot at the crease of his thigh. “Now, come closer.”

Reluctantly, Zoro scooched closer and hated every second of it because he felt so _exposed_ with his leg angled like this. Especially when Sanji flopped his calf over his shoulder, allowing him to see _everything,_ knowing damn well Sanji could see just as much of him, too.

Without flinching, Sanji leaned over to Zoro’s coat and fished the bottle of lube out. The swordsman couldn’t believe how easy he made it seem to put his body in impossible positions. He wondered if the man had rubber bones like his captain. 

“Hand out,” Sanji said and plopped a generous amount of lube over Zoro’s fingers and did the same for himself. With no hesitation, Sanji dropped his hand to the bench and pressed his middle finger right to Zoro’s entrance.

“OI!” Zoro yelped and snapped his legs closed.

“What?!”

“J-just hold on a minute!”

“What for?!”

“Because!”

“Are you scared?!”

“Excuse me!?” Zoro snapped.

“You heard me! You’re being a wimp about this.”

Zoro’s lip was raised in a snarl. “Like hell I’d let you win one over on me,” he growled and opened his legs again. He sat forward and together, the two of them placed their hands in position. 

Zoro held Sanji’s stare, not daring to look away lest the chef think he triumphed. When Zoro felt Sanji’s finger touch him and slowly dip inside, he matched his movements and together they sighed from the new feeling.

Slowly moving their fingers in and out of each other caused the stuffy air of the gym to warm up _quick._ Sanji’s eyes were falling shut and when they were open, they trailed over Zoro’s sweat-slicked chest. “A-anything…?” he asked breathlessly.

If he answered how he truly felt, Zoro was sure Sanji would make fun of him for making a big deal out of this in the beginning, but he didn’t want to lie to him, either. “It doesn’t...feel bad, I guess,” he admitted.

Sanji nodded his head with a smile. “I like it. I want more,” he said, pulling his finger out all the way and pressed two inside. Zoro made a face of discomfort but didn’t object. The swordsman followed Sanji’s lead and added two fingers into the mix. Sanji gasped.

“You like that, then?” Zoro asked, half with a smug attitude, half with concern hoping he wasn’t hurting him.

“Yeah,” Sanji whispered, letting his eyes fall closed and bit his lip. His fingers gradually became sluggish, unable to keep up with Zoro’s pace. 

“Get your fingers outta me and I’ll give you more,” Zoro said, pressing deep inside Sanji and curling his fingers upward. The blonde cried out with a moan, startling the both of them to stop in their tracks. Pink saturated across Sanji’s face as he realized the noise came from _him_ and not someone else. He ripped his hand from Zoro and crossed his arms with embarrassment. His knees shook as he ever so slightly tried shutting them to close himself off. Zoro’s brows turned up in worry as he released his fingers. “Hey, it’s alright,” Zoro gently told him.

“This is _so_ humiliating,” Sanji whined, still not looking at Zoro. “I didn’t think I’d be the one under you.”

“Are you...that upset about it?” Sanji nodded he was. Zoro sighed and sat up straight. His foot found the floor again and he maneuvered Sanji’s leg off his shoulder and back to the mat, too. Looking the blonde over, he wasn’t sure what the man truly wanted. He still had an erection yet the rest of his body language screamed _I don’t like this._ If this was going to be their first time together, there was no way the swordsman was going to let his partner feel like he was the lesser of the two of them. And it wasn’t as if Zoro _hated_ the feeling when Sanji had his fingers inside him, he supposed it was just too foreign to him still. “You can be in control, you know. I won’t mind.”

Sanji looked at him. For a split second, Zoro saw a glimpse of amazement or even shock, but it was quickly replaced with an emotion Zoro knew all too well on that curly face of his: annoyance. The crease between his eyebrows furrowed together as he frowned. “I appreciate the gesture, but that’s not the problem here, Marimo.” Zoro cocked his head to the side. “Ugh,” Sanji said, clicking his tongue. “I wasn’t expecting to actually _like_ it!”

Zoro smiled. He smiled from ear to ear. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” the blonde said with an eye roll. “But only if you…you know.” Sanji’s arms untangled so one could nervously mess with the bangs over his eye. “Only if you don’t think I’m no longer your equal or something…”

Leaning to the side and reaching for his coat, Zoro wiped his fingers off and grabbed Sanji’s hand to clean his off as well, who grimaced because _that’s the coat he wears in public, gross!_ But Zoro ignored him. Tossing the trench aside and trading it for the bottle of lube, he slicked himself up and gestured for Sanji to come closer. Zoro helped him put his legs over his thighs to wrap around his waist. “Ain’t no way I could think that of you, cause it wouldn’t be true.”

Giving a sigh of relief, Sanji smiled down at Zoro and ran his fingers through the green hair. “Really?” he asked. Zoro confirmed and asked one more time if this is what Sanji wanted. “Who knew a big brute like you could be so considerate.” He huffed a laugh and traced his fingers down the back of Zoro’s head, around his neck, and up to his ear to create a perfect song by causing three earrings to chime together.

Sanji leaned in to press his lips to the other’s. Zoro could feel Sanji smiling against him. The idea of the Sunny’s chef letting down all of his walls to become _so vulnerable_ for him was borderline euphoric. This man, who was just as strong mentally and physically as he was, was placing his naked body in Zoro’s hands to care for, entrusting his all to him.

Without releasing Sanji’s lips, Zoro slowly felt up his thick, muscular thighs, squeezing his fingers desperately. Passing over his hips and around to his ass, Zoro’s heart rate accelerated and his even breathing turned into pants of want. Hearing Sanji moan between every kiss, feeling him grind into him, seeing him come undone for him - it was enough to send him over the edge as is. 

Zoro easily lifted Sanji and hovered him over the tip of his cock. He waited until Sanji opened his eyes so he could watch every expression he was about to make. Two angelic blue eyes were visible as Sanji looked down at him from under his hair. Zoro didn’t think he could ever get tired of seeing the man’s entire face at a time. 

Leisurely lowering the blonde down onto him, Zoro found it quite difficult to keep his eye from closing at the feeling of Sanji taking him entirely. It was better than he had imagined and he had wanted to relish in the feeling by letting his eye lazily shut, but he couldn’t if he wanted to watch. To miss even a single expression Sanji made would have been a loss that Zoro knew he’d regret for a long, long time. 

Never did Zoro think this was where he’d end up in life and it all started by becoming a pirate in the courtyard of a small Marine base. It wasn’t soon after, he met this amazing human-being who sat atop of him now. This single person who pushed him to be better and better every single day, whether he knew it or not. Neither daring to let themselves fall behind the other. Between all the crazy shit they had been through with this rag-tag crew, they eventually fell _in love?_ Zoro from a few months ago would have thought the idea laughable, preposterous even. But Zoro from _now_ had no idea how he could live another day without knowing _Sanji loved him_ just as much as _he loved Sanji._ This idiot-cook who struggled through his childhood and grew up to be a raging, foot-wielding badass was _his._ Sanji was _his._

Sanji must have adjusted to the feeling because his face had melted into a goofy smirk that he only gave the girls when they wore their tiny bikinis. Zoro had never received _this_ type of look from him before. Maybe caught him staring a few times, but never the heart-eyes-and-floppy-tongue look. Zoro lifted him back up as if he weighed nothing, causing Sanji’s mouth to fall open and giggle for more. Once he settled into an agonizingly slow pace, Sanji had wrapped his arms around Zoro’s neck to hold on and let his head flop backward. 

Unable to help himself after having Sanji’s chest pressed into his face, Zoro playfully bit a nipple in hopes Sanji would return his gaze on him. Instead, Sanji gasped and yanked on his green hair. He clenched over Zoro causing him to falter in his movements. 

Sanji continued to tighten over Zoro, whining through deep moans. One hand wedged its way between them so he could touch himself, it sliding with ease from how wet he had become. The temptation to witness the blonde pleasure himself was too great and so Zoro broke away from watching Sanji’s throat flex to see his right hand smearing precum over his dick. Every stroke stayed in time with Zoro lifting him up and down and each time he squeezed over the head, white droplets beaded up and leaked over. Remembering how Sanji tasted had the swordsman forgetting how to swallow properly.

If Sanji was always like how he was back in the aquarium room, Zoro knew the blonde wouldn’t last much longer with the way he began panting the swordsman’s name under his breath. As if on cue - “Zoro, I’m not gonna last,” Sanji admitted with a throaty gasp.

“That’s fine,” the swordsman whispered to him, placing a few gentle kisses on his chest before returning to Sanji’s face. “Look at me, though.”

Sanji’s head fell forward and he was a _mess._ Zoro suppressed a moan from the sight of him. His cheeks were flushed, eyes mere slits, and his lips were shiny and pink from biting down too hard on them. It took everything he had to keep the pace even so as not to disrupt Sanji’s approaching orgasm. 

Sanji came with a curse falling from his mouth and short nails digging into tanned shoulder-meat. Zoro didn’t let up until Sanji relaxed, bonelessly collapsing against him. While he let Sanji catch his breath, he snaked his arms around his torso and buried his face into Sanji’s neck, planting soft kisses against his damp skin.

Eventually, Sanji managed to push himself up. “Did you..?” he asked shyly.

“No,” Zoro said, grabbing Sanji’s hand and bringing it to his chin. “But I will.” He then licked Sanji’s palm up to his fingers to swallow them, _tasting_ them to taste _Sanji._

“Oh,” Sanji whispered to himself. When Zoro removed his hand from his mouth, Sanji bent down to kiss him.

Deep in his throat, Zoro groaned. He placed his hands under Sanji’s thighs and stood, swinging a leg over the bench and getting to his knees to lay the blonde down on the mat. Those long, milky white legs never let go, still locked behind him. As his back touched the ground, his blonde hair fell to the side enough that Zoro could see a second blue eye peeking through. He helped it by using a single finger to draw it backward, leaving his hair in a wavy mess. The damn idiot was beautiful like that, though. 

Continuing where they left off, Zoro softly pumped his hips into Sanji while he slipped his tongue inside his mouth. The new position had Zoro practically seeing stars because he could reach much deeper than before. He readjusted his knees and pressed back inside a little harder than he meant, forcing a moan right out of Sanji. The blonde covered his face.

“It’s alright, move your hand,” Zoro said and returned to sensually kissing the other. Part of him wanted to be rougher with Sanji after seeing that reaction, to pin him down and promise to make him not able to walk straight for a week. Then there was the part that didn’t want this to end, this perfect moment of them getting along and just becoming completely lost in each other. The way Sanji stared up at him with half-lidded eyes full of lust and love, how his mouth quirked up on the sides in a knowing smile at whatever face Zoro was probably making, how his breath hitched each time their tongues slid across each other...all of it was amazing. 

“Sanji…” he breathed heavily. The tingles running down his spine, tightening his muscles over his lower back had Zoro thrusting haphazardly. “Sanji, m’gonna…” he tried warning him, but his mind was turning to mush - his orgasm was creeping up faster than he could control and his mouth didn’t know how to form words anymore, only sounds he knew he’d be made fun of for later. Every hair on his body stood on end as the electric surge coursed over his skin. 

Below him, Sanji was very supportive by tightening his insides and digging his nails into whatever surface he could reach. His eyes went wide when he felt Zoro cumming inside, but he didn’t try to stop him, either. Zoro slowed to a stop and collapsed over the blonde, panting in his ear.

“You know, it’s not very fair you took my idea,” Sanji cooed into his ear. _“I_ was supposed to make love to _you_ right here, not the other way around.”

“Shaddap,” Zoro said after catching his breath. He could feel Sanji’s fingers running through his hair and tracing down his back. It felt nice. It all felt nice. Once he was sure he could sit back on his knees without shaking, he did so, pulling out of Sanji. 

“Gross,” Sanji said while sitting up. “I need another bath.”

Zoro knew Sanji would say something like that. “I’d offer to help but I gotta stay up here.”

Dismissively waving his hand, Sanji said, “I can do it in my own, idiot. It’s the ‘getting from here to there’ part that I don’t want to do.” The two of them stood and while Zoro handed him his clothes to put on, he added one last thing with an evil smile. “I don’t mind the mess so long as you remember I’m the strongest.”

_“HAH?!”_

___

_When you’re completely content in your life, time flows by fast,_ Zoro thought to himself. Weeks had gone by since the night he and Sanji shared together. It was an experience Zoro would never forget and he knew Sanji felt the same way seeing as how the man pawed at him after every fight they got into. He was so easy to read, to know what he was _really_ after. It should come of no surprise, though, learning how truly horny the damn guy was. 

The sun was high in the sky, pelting its rays down on the Thousand Sunny while Zoro stood at the railing, looking off into the distance. They had just departed from an island and were on their way to continue their journey around the New World. The adventure never had a dull moment, even when Sunny was stationary over calm waters, deserting them in the middle of the ocean. Even then, something was bound to happen. All of their lives were full of ups and downs and loops and knots but Zoro wouldn't trade it for anything, even the title of The Greatest Swordsman.

That title was something he would gain while _with_ this crazy crew. Luffy would help them all achieve their goal in some way or another, and vice versa. Zoro wouldn’t rest until his captain became the King of the Pirates. He’d stay as his right hand for as long as he’d keep him, and on his left would be Sanji. The two of them surrounding the King to let the world know if you fuck with one of them, you fuck with them all.

That train of thought reminded Zoro of Sanji’s main goal in life. The blonde never claimed he wanted to be the greatest chef or cook the biggest meal. All he had said was he wanted to find the All Blue, a place where all four oceans connected and were home to all types of sea creatures. His goal was different than Zoro’s or Luffy’s, he wasn’t looking for a title to hold, only wanted to know the existence of a place. Sure he wanted to use the marine life in his recipes, but his main goal didn't revolve around that.

Zoro wondered what it would look like, the All Blue. He had seen some of the most insane things in such a few years as a Straw Hat that he’d believe anything at this point. The idea of four oceans meeting together seemed pretty unlikely, but the more the nine of them encountered each day, the less crazy All Blue sounded.

The waves lapped against Sunny’s side, bathing her as they sailed in the afternoon sun. The light breeze jingled his earrings together and tousled through his short hair. He placed a hand over his ear to still the metals, thinking to himself about Sanji. 

_What will his face look like when we find the All Blue? Will his smile ever fade?_ The grin Sanji wore any time he spoke of the place was so child-like, making him look younger than he really was. This magical place seemed to sweep Sanji off his feet time and time again, the blonde never tiring of such a fantasy. _The innocence of his dream will never get tiring._

Jumping, Zoro looked to his left. At some point, Robin had joined him at the railing. “What do you want, Witch Number Two?”

Long, dark hair swirled in the wind as she turned to face him. She brought her hands up to tie her hair back in a loose ponytail. “I’ve come over here to grab you for lunch. Sanji-san has been calling for you.”

Zoro looked behind him. The rest of the crew were sitting out on a red checkered blanket while Sanji filled cups full of ice-cold lemonade. He had been so caught up in his thoughts about Sanji and their future that he didn't even hear everyone gathering to eat. “Uh, thanks,” Zoro said. 

Robin gave a tight-lipped smile. “You must have been thinking of something important, hm?” she asked. Zoro shrugged while returning his gaze to the sparkling ocean. The last few seagulls that dared venture out this far _cawed_ overhead as they circled the ships, hoping to find scraps of food that didn’t exist. “Maybe you were reminiscing?”

Zoro made a face. “About what?”

“Our little cook. Do you miss him?”

Hackles standing on end, Zoro reared backward from her. “N-no! What the hell kinda question is that!?”

The archeologist only laughed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “Not even a little?” she asked.

“No,” Zoro grumbled in a pout. He couldn’t believe she’d ask such an embarrassing question. He chanced a glance to see what Robin’s expression was, to see if she believed even an ounce of what he was defending. Her face was smug, a perfect eyebrow lifted with disbelief.

“Oh? That means I can throw this out, then?” Robin said nonchalantly as she pulled a card from the top of her shirt. It was white on the back, whatever it was on the front still a mystery to the swordsman. 

Zoro craned his neck to see the front but Robin tucked it close to her breast. “Well, what is it, dammit? Why do you always play these mind games?”

“Zoroooooo, Robinnnnnn!!!!” Foooooooddd!” Luffy called, waving to them from the center of the deck. Both pirates turned to their name. The grass swayed as the wind flowed through it, also catching Luffy’s hat. 

It made it a few feet away but Sanji caught it and returned it to its owner. As he bent to put the hat on Luffy’s head, he looked at Zoro, silently asking, _‘is there something wrong?’_

“Will you just show me, Robin?” Zoro asked impatiently.

“If you don’t miss the little cook, I don’t think you need this,” Robin said, raising the card and looking at the side Zoro couldn’t see. 

Zoro’s lip twitched. He took a deep breath and, as fast as he could, snatched the card from Robin’s hold. When he turned it over, his heart felt like it had skipped a beat. His chest ached with excitement, tightening so much it was almost painful from what he was seeing.

It wasn’t a card he held, but a photograph. His own cranky face stared up at him, and in his arms were Chopper and none other than Sanji when he was just a seven-year-old boy. He remembered this moment so vividly, too.

. . . 

_After our bath, I came out of the bathroom wrapped in a dry towel carrying Sanji in one arm and Chopper in the other, both in fat, fluffy towels. We were on our way to the boy’s bunkroom to change into clean clothes when we bumped into Nami and Robin. “Move,” I said, trying to walk around them. Girls were so annoying._

_They giggled, which only irked me more. Nami sighed and said, “Adorable,” bringing up a snail, clicking its shell to snap a photo of us._

_“Oi, oi! What’s this about!?” I said, gripping the boys tighter to me in embarrassment._

_“I told you he’d come out with them!” Nami said, ignoring me and speaking only to Robin._

_“You did, Navigator-san, and you were right - it is quite cute,” Robin said with a soft smile and winked at me, giving me the damn creeps._

_“I hate you both,” I told them and pushed past the two to enter the bunk room._

. . .

Zoro couldn’t believe he had forgotten this picture existed. He was speechless, practically dumbstruck from the photo. A million things were running through his mind at the sight of seeing that little dorky blonde again. His heart felt like it would burst from his chest, swelling much too large for his ribcage to hold back. The face he thought he’d never see again was right there, plain as day. 

Sanji was laughing at something Chopper had said right before the snail went off. The brightest smile, sealed in time, capturing the perfect moment of a perfect child. His little toes were curled and his eyes were squeezed shut as he giggled. Zoro couldn’t suppress his smile any longer. He was way too happy to keep up this stupid act that he didn’t care so deeply for the younger Sanji. He turned to thank Robin, but she was already gone.

Just then, Sanji came up beside him with an arm around his waist. “You coming? Usoppu and Franky can only guard the food for so long before it’s all gone, you know.”

Zoro shoved the photo into his trench coat. “Yes!” he answered all too quickly.

Sanji asked what he was hiding, but Zoro waved him off. “Well, alright. Come eat, please?” he asked and placed a light peck on Zoro’s cheek before returning to the others.

Watching the chef walk away and kicking Luffy in the head, Zoro smiled again. He didn’t think he would ever understand how anyone could ever hurt such a nice kid like Sanji, how anyone could ever torture such a kind soul. Part of him wanted to know the rest of the blonde’s story, to know what happened when he wasn’t there to protect him. But the other part reminded him it didn’t matter because he was _here_ and he was _alive._

 _Right. None of that matters now because you’re here with me,_ Zoro silently told Sanji. _No one will ever be able to hurt you like they did before, not ever again. You are my best friend, my rival, and now - my lover. I’d die a thousand deaths just to keep you happy, and I’ll start by always being there for you. No matter what happens, just know I’ve always got your back._

[ ](https://twitter.com/chow_bii/status/1302969029187960838)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a rollercoaster ride that story was! Lemme know what you thought :3
> 
> My content will ALWAYS be free, but if you liked this story, consider buying me a Ko-Fi? ko-fi.com/sydneyxface  
> You can find me on Twitter @sydneyxface


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